VOD Reveiw: Out of the Dark (2015)

(aka Los Ninos de Cocaina.)
Release Date: February 27th (Limited)
Country: USA.
Rating: R.
Written by: Javier Gullon and David Pastor.
Directed by: Lluis Quilez.
Starring: Julia Stiles, Scott Speedman, Stephen Rea, Vanesa Tamayo, and Pixie Davies.

Julia Stiles has been starring in a pretty great Web Series called Blue since 2012, but since her turn on Dexter back in 2010, she's mostly been doing supporting roles.

When we saw that she'd be playing the lead in a Genre movie like this, we were pretty excited, even if that meant we'd have to stomach Scott Speedman for 90 minutes. Blah. *It's not that we hate Scott Speedman or anything, it's just that we've always found him to be bland and emotionless... which is oddly appropriate here, because we feel the same way about Out of the Dark.

Julia Stiles, Scott Speedman, and their oddly British daughter move to Colombia to take over their family's manufacturing plant. What they manufacture is anybody's guess, but we're pretty sure that it somehow has to be cocaine-related; after all, Colombia knows cocaine better than anybody else in the World. Even Lindsay Lohan.

WORST CARTEL EVER.

It's not long before they find themselves haunted by a gang of ghostly children whom are dubbed by superstitious locals as "Los Ninos de Cocaina" (The Cocaine Kids, to us gringos.) These kids are disfigured and creepy, and they seem to be really pissed off about something. It probably has something to do with their faces, and how white people are evil. 

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT, PENDEJO?"

We don't want to say too much more about the plot here, lest we ruin it twists and turns for you, but suffice it to say that you could probably take a nap until about the 50 minute mark and not miss all that much.

LIFE IS ROUGH IN COLOMBIA.

Out of the Dark tries its best to be an effective Supernatural Thriller, but in the end, it plays more like a bland Lifetime movie of the week, than it does anything else. It's not a bad watch at all, but it's just not all that fresh or different. Or exciting.

This is a well-made movie that certainly looks like it had a decent budget, and the cast is full of solid actors, but it never really does much with those assets. The story is slow and plodding, and it just feels like it's a paint-by-numbers sort of affair, and it never really held our attention for long. At least not in a suspenseful way.

JULIA STILES ALWAYS MANAGES TO HOLD OUR ATTENTION THOUGH.

As slow as the whole movie is, things do pick up a bit towards the end (like most movies do), and we have to admit that the "finale" was visually interesting, but even that felt bland and predictable, and there wasn't really anything particularly scary about it. Without giving too much away, the whole movie builds towards the idea of these murderous ghost kids exacting some sort of revenge against those who wronged them during their short lifespans, which you'd think would culminate in an intense finale that saw lives hanging in the balance, but no. I mean, lives were technically hanging in the balance, but never once did it feel like everyone was danger, except for maybe one character. 

This really felt like a drama about family dynamics in which the supernatural elements took a backseat.

THAT WAS KINDA COOL.

At least the cast was strong in this one. We can't say that we're the biggest fans of Scott Speedman, but it was great to see Julia Stiles in more of a starring role again, even if that role was a bit hollow and lackluster. The best part of the movie though (casting wise) is the presence of Stephen Rea; at nearly 70-years-old, he's still one of the best actors working today, and we always welcome a chance to see him in something new.

OK KID, WE GET IT. YOU'RE SCARY.

Julia Stiles is still a Hottie. Also, moving to Colombia is far too dangerous to consider, even if you really love cocaine.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT A TOWEL, JULIA. JUST AIR DRY.

Out of the Dark isn't a bad movie at all, but it surely is a painfully bland one. It's easy enough to watch, and we didn't really feel like we wasted our time doing so, we just didn't really care about it either way when all was said and done. Is it worth a rental? Kinda. You'll be fine either way you go. 

C

Out of the Dark is available now on VOD, and  will hit Theaters (Limited) on February 27th.

Julia Stiles has come a long way since 10 Things I Hate about You, and we'd still save the last dance for her.