Film Review – Out Of Darkness (2022)

Previously titled ‘The Origin’ when it premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in 2022, Andrew Cumming’s feature-length directorial debut has been renamed ‘Out of Darkness’ for its theatrical release.

Set a mere 45,000 years ago, Out of Darkness finds a clan of early humans huddled around an open fire. They are in search of a place to settle and believe that somewhere lies a new land that promises safety, shelter, and food. The group is comprised of the stern-faced Adem (Chuku Modu), who is also the leader, his young son Heron (Luna Mwezi), heavily pregnant Ave (Iola Evans), Adem’s brother and second in command Geirr (Kit Young), forager and shaman Odal (Arno Luening) and lastly teenager Beyah (Safia Oakley-Green) who is a stray that the group has begrudgingly allowed to travel with them.

As the group journey into the new so-called promised land, they soon realise that their troubles are far from over. Not only is the land barren and there is no game to hunt, the landscape is rocky and unforgiving. Soon Odal becomes convinced that the clan has ventured into a land of demons. As night falls, strange screams are heard and then one of the group is snatched away before anyone can do anything. Adem decides that they must try and rescue their stolen member. However, that involves travelling deep into the dense woods where danger lurks from unseen forces.

Filmed in the Scottish Highlands, cinematographer Ben Fordesman (Saint Maud, Name Me Lawand) makes incredible use of the surroundings with beautiful widescreen photography. The vast, inhospitable landscape and the sense of isolation enhance the idea that this is taking place in prehistoric times. Out of Darkness is an immersive experience that feels very transportive for the audience. Throughout the film, the characters speak in a fictional language (with subtitles), invented by Daniel Andersson and Rob Dinnis, and again this helps the feeling of immersion for the audience. The cast does a really good job with this made-up language and the performances are strong. As the film progresses, Beyah takes centre stage, and Safia Oakley-Green stands out. Indeed, Oakley-Green won the British Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performance for her role.

Where Out of Darkness falters is in its third act when the reveals are made. The film is incredibly strong when it is at its most mysterious and intriguing – when there are unexplained noises and inexplicable gruesome discoveries. As soon as those noises and discoveries become explainable, Out of Darkness loses its effectiveness. This may be in part because the big reveal feels slightly lacklustre but Cummings is making a point with this plot moment: it is a thoughtful concept, but  it doesn’t feel very reassuring.

Whilst its third act isn’t as strong as its previous two acts, Out of Darkness is an impressive debut from Cummings. With a stone age thriller as his first film, it will be exciting to see what Cumming decides to do with his sophomore endeavour.

★★★1/2

In UK cinemas 23rd February  / Safia Oakley-Green, Chuku Modu, Kit Young, Iola Evans, Rosebud Melarkey, Tyrell Mhlanga, Luna Mwezi / Dir.Andrew Cumming / Signature Entertainment / 15