Lights Out Film Analysis

For what seems like forever, I’ve had the same complaint about the state of the horror genre. One film after another follows a nearly identical premise, depicting a small group of people wandering around a dark, confined area (typically a house or forest) - haunted by a member of the supernatural community. The ghule in question varies based on the story, taking the form of ugly shadow figures, women draped in black, children, and dolls - all focused on causing chaos.

That said, this is a genre that has shown little interest in evolving - evident in the recent release of films that include The Conjuring 2, The Boy, The Witch, and The Forest (for whatever reason, most horror titles love incorporating “The” in the title). Instead, the horror …show more content…
For the most part, Bello’s character is also a commonly utilized figure – serving as the evil spirit’s gateway into existence. Virtually everyone in the knows it, too, but are unwilling to do anything about it – other than make sure she’s taking her vitamins (and antidepressants).

Like nearly every haunted house movie, Lights Out is a revolving door of repetitiveness – or clichés, if you will. The only characteristic that sets one horror movie apart from the next is the climactic punch line. Some films features “earth-shattering” revelations, while others kill off one of the main characters. And, in the spirit of that trend, this is the only aspect where Lights Out to stand out. Don’t get me wrong – the climax is cleverly constructed and executed to perfection. Still, this is a horror movie, and as much as you’d like to think the antagonist is fully subdued, you’ll find it’s difficult for studios to make sequels if that’s the case. On that note, David F. Sandberg should be praised for creating a solo, stand-alone tale – but if you haven’t heard, there’s officially a sequel on the way (also known as the kiss of