Lights Out

Ein Horrorfilm der keine Zeit damit vergeudet, Spannungen aufzubauen, was ihm allerdings im geradlinigen ersten Drittel in die Karten spielt. Die Idee funktioniert, denn das hat Sandberg bereits im Kurzfilm getestet, doch hier schlachtet er sie bis über die Grenzen des äußersten aus. Und schon in der zweiten Hälfte spüren wir es. Lights Out gelingt es nicht, irgendwie Spannung aufzubauen, mit etwas zu überraschen, jedoch auch nicht so richtig zu erschrecken. Formal gesehen ist diese Arbeit solide, jedoch insgesamt bleibt sie im Halbdunkel. (31.12.2016)

Schade, dass der Film als ein gewöhnliches Genre-Häppchen aufgefasst wurde, das mit abgeleierten Klischees arbeitet und die Länge von Komödien mit Leslie Nielsen hat. Und es ist auch schade, dass die Figuren so schlecht ausgearbeitet wurden. Das Monster Diana hat ein größeres Potenzial, an sich ist es grausamer als jede Szene von Wans Regie-Meisterstücken. Die Szenen mit ihr entwickeln sich von einem Kribbeln bis zu einem sehr intensiven Finale. (09.08.2016)

As a small-scale film, this movie is quite fine. What’s also fine however is how the director took the original idea, which had been made into a short film, and managed to turn it into a feature film. It’s nothing complicated, but it works. It’s not silly at all. People behave the way real people do rather than behaving like rubber figurines on paper. So, all in all? A pleasant horror movie surprise – it won’t offend you and while it won’t make you excited either, it gets the mission fulfilled with a full number of survivors. (15.12.2017)

I can’t ask more from mainstream horror. A very simple plot that doesn’t waste much time and goes straight to what matters, scaring. The idea originally used in Sandberg’s short is varied again and again, and it still works. The ghost or monster is hidden in the dark for most of the time, but even when you can see more of it by the end, it doesn’t lose much of its horror. The “friend’s” ghost backstory that I dreaded in the trailer is delivered elegantly and it actually sounds a little disturbing. But what sets this film above its mainstream competition are the characters and their relationships. Everyone is nice or at least you can understand their behaviour. But, most importantly, they aren’t one-dimensional figures devoid of personality and, already from the beginning, the film works with relationships that are not totally banal. I won’t say that it delivers some nuanced psychological picture, but it still goes a lot further than the overrated Conjuring. Although Lights Out is basically an intimate horror movie, for me it’s better than Wan’s bigger works. The characters are under a real threat. Technically it is comparable to the premier league. It’s unlikely to be the best of the year (that one already appears regularly in indie waters), but it’s certainly the best mainstream horror flick in recent years. I will gladly watch it again. 9/10 (21.07.2016)

I wouldn't hold out much hope that Lights Out will defend the top spot in horror this year. The trailer struck me as a bit underwhelming, but the film itself is one of the best we've seen in cinemas in the last few years (not counting The Conjuring). David F. Sandberg sets a relentless pace from the opening minutes and rolls out one scare after another, you only have a maximum of 5 minutes to breathe, which is great; the last film to sech such a pace was Drag me to Hell. The idea is very functional, whenever it's dark danger is near, you are worried about all the characters, because their lives are really on the line, and the ghost, even though it's mostly in the dark, is scary, makes disturbing noises, and most importantly is on the scene very often. On the plus side, the half-hour finale with an unexpected twist makes Lights Out an intense 80-minute spectacle that should appeal to anyone who is at least a little bit at home with horror. The Conjuring gives a better impression in terms of story, visuals and setting, whereas Lights Out relies only on scares and it worked. Story 6/10, Atmosphere 9/10, Gore 4/10, Visuals 7/10, Action 8/10, Suspense 9/10, Humour 3/10. Entertainment 8/10, Scares 9/10. 85%. (22.07.2016)