The Darkness

After a family trip to former native American territories near the Grand Canyon, a sinister presence seems to have entered the household of fractious couple Kevin Bacon and Radha Mitchell, while their autistic son (David Mazouz) may be at the centre of events in this LA-set spookfest with echoes of Poltergeist. That we actually believe they're a real family facing an exceptional set of circumstances is the strongest element in what's otherwise a decently acted, competently mounted but fairly tame affair, whose sundry scares involve the usual passing shadows, roof-space scrapings and frightened animals. Arguably, the story is slightly exploiting the son's condition, but there's evident dramatic mileage in the portrayal of a child whose inner workings are beyond his mum and dad's comprehension. After a watchable first-hour, though, the movie has played most of its cards, and the finale's a startlingly bland affair from Aussie director Greg McLean, given the sheer ferocity of his breakthrough shocker Wolf Creek.