Dark Places
From the best selling book by Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl), Charlize Theron stars in this acclaimed thriller about a woman investigating a family murder with the help of a secret society obsessed with solving notorious crimes.
Top Customer Reviews
By Micah, the movie lover on August 1, 2015
Format: Amazon Video Verified Purchase
DARK PLACES is a drama/mystery about a poor Kansas City family who were murdered 30 years ago. There were two remaining members of that family; one was a girl (out of 3 girls and 1 boy) named "Libby Day" and the other was her brother, "Ben Day" who is serving a life sentence in prison for the murders.
I don't want to spoil the story for anyone because this movie is definitely worth a watch, in my opinion. As usual, Charlize Theron gives an outstanding performance as "Libby" who was a child when her family was killed and is now, 30 years later, still pretty directionless and immature.
There are lots of little sub-plots which also makes this film engrossing and the other actors in this movie play their parts to perfection, as well. This is an extremely well done film and I enjoyed watching every minute of it! I was really surprised that I'd never even heard of this movie. The only reason I didn't give this movie 5 stars is because I felt, at times, that there were just TOO many things going on all at once which made the story a bit confusing.
I don't want to spoil the story for anyone because this movie is definitely worth a watch, in my opinion. As usual, Charlize Theron gives an outstanding performance as "Libby" who was a child when her family was killed and is now, 30 years later, still pretty directionless and immature.
There are lots of little sub-plots which also makes this film engrossing and the other actors in this movie play their parts to perfection, as well. This is an extremely well done film and I enjoyed watching every minute of it! I was really surprised that I'd never even heard of this movie. The only reason I didn't give this movie 5 stars is because I felt, at times, that there were just TOO many things going on all at once which made the story a bit confusing.
By Peter Baklava on December 1, 2015
Format: DVD
"Fly-Over Country" is treated with typical Hollywood disdain in this mess of a film, which would be unwatchable without the presence of Charlize Theron.
The plot development is sheer paint-by-the-numbers. It's as if Gillian Flynn just pieced her story together, beginning by recalling the mass murder case that was the basis for Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood". Then she just threw in some other random associations and clichés : 1980's, farm crisis, lonely kids experimenting with drugs, Satanism and animal sacrifices... and finally, the "plot twist that they won't see coming" which seems to be her trademark. In addition, we are treated to a stereotypical token Indian, dysfunctional families a-plenty, and a "social club" based on solving (or celebrating) mass murders.
Nobody seems to be capable of transcending the morass in the middle of Kansas that the film wallows in. Everything is dark and grungy like those mediocre horror movies where some dark beastie resides in the basement. The difference is that in the better types of these films, like "Silence of the Lambs", there are some vestiges of normality left to identify with, which provide balance and perspective----in "Silence", it's the F.B.I. and Clarice Starling. In this movie, there is nothing. It's like standing in a hog lot without a shovel.
The plot development is sheer paint-by-the-numbers. It's as if Gillian Flynn just pieced her story together, beginning by recalling the mass murder case that was the basis for Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood". Then she just threw in some other random associations and clichés : 1980's, farm crisis, lonely kids experimenting with drugs, Satanism and animal sacrifices... and finally, the "plot twist that they won't see coming" which seems to be her trademark. In addition, we are treated to a stereotypical token Indian, dysfunctional families a-plenty, and a "social club" based on solving (or celebrating) mass murders.
Nobody seems to be capable of transcending the morass in the middle of Kansas that the film wallows in. Everything is dark and grungy like those mediocre horror movies where some dark beastie resides in the basement. The difference is that in the better types of these films, like "Silence of the Lambs", there are some vestiges of normality left to identify with, which provide balance and perspective----in "Silence", it's the F.B.I. and Clarice Starling. In this movie, there is nothing. It's like standing in a hog lot without a shovel.
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