The Supernatural Horror Hidden Gem You Can Stream On Hulu
If you're even a casual fan of horror films, it can sometimes be a challenge to find a great one you haven't seen before. The ones that are genuinely terrifying, or even wonderfully schlocky and entertaining, tend to be well known among aficionados. There is certainly no shortage of films in the genre, but anybody who has ever pressed play on some random horror movie they found while browsing a streaming app can attest to the fact that many are simply not very good.
So, when an excellent horror movie that flew a bit under the radar when it first came out lands on streaming, it's a cause for celebration. That is the case with the 2016 supernatural frightfest Lights Out.
Expanding upon the 2013 David F. Sandberg-directed short film of the same name, the full-length movie was also directed by Sandberg, and tells the story of a young woman named Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) whose family is being stalked by a deadly apparition, Diana (Alicia Vela-Bailey), who only appears in the darkness. When it becomes clear that none of them will be safe with the lights off until Diana is dealt with, Rebecca must dive into the troubled past of her mother, Sophie (NCIS' Maria Bello), in search of answers.
Lights Out is a short and intense film that packs an emotional wallop, but is it actually scary? According to critics, the answer is a resounding and terrified yes.
Lights Out is one terrifying movie
When Lights Out was released, it received strong reviews from critics, many of whom praised the effectiveness of the movie's scares. Simon Crook of Empire said that director David F. Sandberg "has a fiendish gift for ambushing audiences." For Crook, the technical skill of the jump-scares was only enhanced by the skillful characterizations. They wrote, "All of his characters are battling internal demons but they're likable too: the fact you're rooting for them [...] makes the ordeal cut all the harder."
Vox's Emily VanDerWerff lauded the execution of the movie's core concept, noting that "it can turn literally any place into a house of horrors simply by flipping a light switch." VanDerWerff was also impressed with the monster herself, writing, "This is one scary monster. Named Diana, she cuts a creepy figure in silhouette, and she's got long, long fingernails she can use to attack. She'll freak you out."
Writing for BuzzFeed, Alison Willmore pointed to one scream-inducing scene in particular to highlight how well-done the movie's horror content is. Writing about a moment where Diana appears between flickers of a neon sign, they said, "It's simple, but that's why it works so well, summoning the sickening feeling of being unable to decide if it's better to keep an eye on something potentially terrifying or to look elsewhere and just hope it goes away."
If you're ready to have the daylights scared out of you, check out Light's Out, currently streaming on Hulu.