By Geno McGahee
Today, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases LIGHTS OUT on Blu-Ray and DVD. Featuring Teresa Palmer (“Triple 9,” “Warm Bodies”) as Rebecca, Gabriel Bateman (“Annabelle”) as Martin, Billy Burke (the “Twilight” franchise) as Martin’s father, Paul; Alexander DiPersia (“Forever”) as Rebecca’s boyfriend, Bret; and Maria Bello (“Prisoners”) as Sophie, the film boasts a strong cast and eerie premise, ready for the Halloween crowd to give it a shot.
Rebecca is an independent woman and looks at life rather seriously. This comes from her upbringing and strange occurrences that she encountered. When the lights go out, a female demonic presence haunted her, but it may have been all in her mind. When it starts happening to her younger brother, she realizes that there might be something to it and that he may be in danger. Rebecca’s sort of boyfriend, Bret, joins the battle and tries to mend fences between her and her mother, Sophie, who has the link to the force that is terrorizing the family.
The film is full of very cool visuals and that is the spine of the movie. The introduction to the demon was done quite well with the flickering of the lights and the glimpses of the being. The film begins with an edge considering that every child’s first fear in life is that of the dark and what lies within it. The monster under the bed comes to life in LIGHTS OUT as the demonic force attacks.
The connection between Sophie and the entity is explained and the ambitions of the demon are explored. Rebecca and Bret put their lives on the line as they unravel this mystery and find a few tricks to make their battle more winnable. The film concludes with more great visuals, which makes this movie a standout when it comes to style. There might be more sizzle than steak here, but this is one of those films that you can throw in and just be spooked by without knowing much about the story. It’s a good party movie.
I recommend LIGHTS OUT. It was creepy and had an aura of mystery throughout. There are enough unanswered questions to turn a franchise out of this or at least get a sequel. It’s a good foundation to build on.
LIGHTS OUT is available today on Blu-ray for $29.98, and includes the film in high definition on Blu-ray disc and a digital version of the movie in Digital HD with UltraViolet*. Fans can also own “Lights Out” via purchase from digital retailers beginning on October 11th.
