Michael Zagst Archives - Sean Kelly On Movies

Two siblings experience strange occurrences at the farm of their dying father in The Dark & The Wicked. Louise (Marin Ireland) and her brother Michael ((Michael Abbott Jr) put their lives on hold to return the farm of their mother (Julie Oliver-Touchstone) and father (Michael Zagst), the latter of whom is on his deathbed. However, there is something wicked on the farm, which will come for whatever it wants. The Dark & The Wicked is a new supernatural horror film from writer/director Bryan Bertino. Just like Bertino's 2008 breakthrough film The Strangers, The Dark & The Wicked is a very isolated story, with only a handful of characters, such as the protagonists Louise and Michael, their parents, their father's nurse (Lynn Andrews), and an old priest (Xander Berkeley). When they arrive, Louise and Michael are warned by their mother that they shouldn't have come, with the two quickly realizing that she was right. The Dark & The Wicked is a film that has individual moments that work very well, such as the absolutely chilling opening scene and a number of intense and gory horror set-pieces, including one that'll make you hesitant about cutting carrots ever again. However, despite having the right atmosphere, The Dark & The Wicked isn't as instantly memorable a film as Bryan Bertino's The Strangers and is just a mildly satisfying supernatural frightfest to watch in the dark. The Dark & the Wicked screened as part of the 2020 Fantasia Film Festival