MovieChat Forums > The Relic (1997) Discussion > Shot so dark.. you can't see the movie

Shot so dark.. you can't see the movie


I love this movie but its so hard to watch cause its filmed so dark.. You can't see half of what's going on...

reply

Mike Nelson (MST3K) said the same thing about "Batman" (1989).

The movie was really dark.

reply

Yes, it's a gory monster flick made with a whopping budget and an intriguing sci-fi concept concerning the creature, but -- as you point out -- it's hindered by bad lighting. This is one of the darkest movies I've ever seen that doesn't take place in a cave.

Bland characters is another issue. Sizemore is good, but Miller is only serviceable with the rest of the characters being merely okay. I suppose it doesn't help that the story lacks dramatic drive. People laud the film for not throwing in a romantic subplot between the protagonists, but SOMETHING needed done to make it more compelling. How about throwing in some teens visiting the museum – something!

Nevertheless, there are some legitimate scares, the kills are utterly savage and the monster, location and sets are good.

reply

Director Peter Hyams shoots his own movies. He can do a good job, but why this thing is so dark is strange. It's kind of like: This is a horror movie, so it has to be really shadowy.

reply

Director Peter Hyams often PREFERS dark photography in his movies, it is his general style but I agree he kind of took it a bit too far in this one.

reply

I had the same issue. I liked it alright by the end, but the lighting was bad in a lot of the big setpieces.

reply

Think this is dark.. try watching AvP : Requiem.. :P

reply

AVPR is a terrible and laughably bad film that is one of mostly darkly shot films I have ever seen

reply