Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Fella_shibby I saw this first on a VHS in the mid 90s. I never understood the film then. Found it to be one helluva weird stuff. Revisited it recently on a pirated DVD after reading many glowing reviews n the cult following. Honestly, now i found it to be meh. As i mentioned in my review of the movie A cure for wellness that cinematography n atmosphere ain't enough to save a bad film. Apart from the imagery like the cathedral's location, the village, the atmosphere of constant raining n murky weather, the weird characters, the leaking cathedral with its dripping water, the cliff n the setting sun, the catacombs with their candles n the enigmatic passageways, there ain't anything good about this film. In fact, there is no music, very few dialogues n the story is really confusing. Strange things seems to happen for no reason. The actress was attractive though.

suspiria56 The first and only feature thus far from Italian filmmaker Mariano Baino clearly wears its influences on its sleeve. The story involves an English woman, returning to the island of her birth where her mother died following the delivery, and then discovers a strange sect steeped in Gothic worship and bizarre mystery.Following his short film, the much lauded Carancula, Baino embarked on what many believed would be a modern horror masterpiece in the making. Financed by the US, the UK, Russia, and Italy, and filmed on location in the Ukraine, it is of no surprise that the production ran into trouble (see Mark Kermode's account of his own on-set experiences). Yet it is to Baino's credit, and indeed obvious talents as a director, that he manages to pull off something credible, if not quite the epic its promoters (Fangoria magazine being a keen follower) would quite have hoped for.Mixing in moments of contemporary horror of the likes of The Evil Dead and 80's Italian horror, it strives for much on a clearly evident low budget. Whilst also attempting, to varying degrees of success, to convey the atmospheres of directors like Bunuel, Bava, or prime-time Argento, whilst H P Lovecraft influences seemingly dominate the ending. Some imagery is truly unique. Sequences such as a nun dying on a rock as waves wash over impress, as does a brilliantly surreal scene as the protagonist, Elizabeth, walks across a shore strewn with dead fish. Add to this ambiguous soundscapes throughout the film (a crying baby, demon-like roars) that connect the films narrative, and the cinema of Jean Rollin may spring to mind.For all the positives however, Dark Waters seems to suffer from similar failings that the other lauded hope of post mid-eighties Italian cinema, Michelle Soavi, suffered. Poor acting, trite scripts often poorly delivered, and over ambitious narratives.But it is this ambition to make something uniquely visual, to create an atmosphere rarely seen in the genre over the past thirty years, certainly on such a small budget and filming constraints. And for that Mariano Baino, may you one day have the budget to make something else. There is no doubt that he possesses the talent to do so.

quinnox-1 This is a richly atmospheric horror movie with an interesting start and creepy middle but is let down by the last half hour and becomes increasingly silly. Eventually dialog totally disappears and all thats left is supposedly scary background music and odd sounds that appear to be stuck on repeat. The movie tries too hard to be all about atmosphere and it needed to have more dialogs and story development for the plot to work. Too bad because the two lead actresses are very good in their roles, one a forlorn English girl investigating her past, and the other a young convent nun who seems friendly and anxious to help. This could have been a very good horror movie if the end hadn't been so inadequate.

christopher-underwood A brave first feature effort, apparently made against much adversity. Well shot and extremely good looking, it seems however that Mr Baino was so in love with his images he remained focused on them just a little too long. Consequently this Lovecraft inspired tale set in a labyrinthine convent, moves at a very slow pace, and not to anywhere in particular at that. Some fine moments, nevertheless and much gory goings on with the most terrifying soundtrack of weeping children. Weshall hear more from this director and hopefully next time he will get himself a decent script writer, or at least a script writer!