PREVIEW: In The Dark Half (15)

In keeping with our mission statement of supporting home grown cinematic delights, The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall will be screening In The Dark Half- one of three micro-budget films produced under the iFeatures 2012 scheme supported by BBC Films and Bristol City Council. Shot in the heart of the West Country and produced for only £300,000, this Bristol-set psychodrama centres on 15 year old Marie (Jessica Barden) who lives on the edge of the city with her mum Kathy. Living next door is single father Filthy and six year old son Sean. Filthy regularly takes his boy out hunting with him for rabbits on the hill behind their houses - spending nearly all their time together, they are very close. Marie also likes the hill and goes running on it every day. In a secluded spot near the top she has a secret den, which becomes her refuge from a world she is finding increasingly difficult to cope with as she appears to be losing her only friend and she doesn’t seem to be able to communicate with her mother.

One night Marie babysits for Filthy. Whilst in her care, Sean mysteriously dies. Nobody knows why and Filthy is devastated. Marie becomes convinced the death has something to do with the hill and becomes aware that she is being haunted by a frightening presence. What is this presence? Is it the spirit of Sean? Or something much more terrifying?

Premiering at Raindance Film Festival earlier this year, this marks the debut for director Alastair Siddons and it certainly demonstrates plenty of promise for his future career.

“Siddons maintains a threatening atmosphere and crafts suggestively with silence”

Dave Colhoun, Time Out

“As a calling card for director Alastair Siddons, it's polished and impressive.”

Catherine Shoard, The Guardian

Check out the trailer below:

In The Dark Half (15) is showing on Tuesday 25^th Sep at 2:00pm (Screen Tea) and 7:45pm, Wednesday 26^th Sep at 7:45pm and Thursday 27^th Sep at 7:45pm