Horror Movie Review: A Dark Path (2020)

Monsters in the woods – a tale as old as time. A Dark Path isn’t going to win any awards for originality. Unfortunately, it’s also not going to win any awards for entertainment or for being a satisfying horror movie. Although it can at least be praised for its practical creature effects even if seeing it in the constant darkness is a struggle.

A British horror movie written and directed by Nicholas Winter, A Dark Path stars Makenna Guyler and Mari Beaseley. They are sisters who break down on a forest path at night in an Eastern European country. Why are they there? The night before was a hen party and the pair are driving back to the airport to go home. They get lost and end up with a punctured tire as they take a detour.

Once in the woods, they bicker and complain before eventually realising there’s something else out there. Something monstrous.

The word that comes to mind when trying to describe A Dark Path is tedious. It’s a tedious movie, low energy and lacking both frights and tension-building. It’s a very slow movie with far too much hackneyed chatter. Both the sisters are unlikable or relatable, so when the horror does begin, it’s very difficult to care about their fates. Even more so as it’s wholly predictable and while the pace does pick up a bit, it’s hardly frantic stuff. Instead, going from a crawl to a slow walk.

The arrival of monster is welcome and as stated above, the visual effects are strong. However, their introduction comes quite late and really doesn’t change the overall dull tone. If you’ve seen your fair share of horror, you can accurately predict every beat that A Dark Path will hit.

That wouldn’t be such a problem if it was a thrill ride from beginning to end but of course, it is not. That it manages to bore so much while being short is some feat.