Classic Horrors Club

It’s kind of sad that one of the four movies IMDb says Brian Clemens is “known for,” Highlander II: The Quickening (1991), is listed, but Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974) is not. The latter even has an average rating that’s two point higher than the former. Oh, well, the 1960s British television show The Avengers trumps them all. Add Terry Nation with his Doctor Who credits and you’ve got a powerhouse team that writes a terrific thriller in And Soon the Darkness (1970.)

Director Robert Fuest helmed only seven episodes of The Avengers, but creates a triple threat directing And Soon the Darkness. I don’t want to talk crazy, but it might be a better film than one that is, regardless of quality, my favorite, The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971.) It’s better and I like it more than Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) and The Devil’s Rain (1975), although I do like those two. The point is, with this talent, it would be a disappointment if And Soon the Darkness wasn’t any good.

You have to wonder how Jane (Pamela Franklin) and Cathy (Michele Dotrice) became such good friends that they’d bike across France with each other. They’re very different young women. Jane is the practical, responsible one; Cathy is the ornery, naughty one. When Cathy would rather lie in the sun in a forest clearing beside the road, dreaming about the “dishy” man she saw at a local cafe, Jane reminds her that they have a long way to go and soon it will be dark. They argue, and Jane goes on her own up further up the road.

What we know that they don’t is that the “dishy” man, Paul Salmon (Sandor Eles) has been following them. It shouldn’t be a spoiler to say that he turns out to be Detective Paul Salmon and he investigated the murder of a young woman in the same area three years ago. It’s not a spoiler because even after the revelation, he acts a little shady and could still turn out to be involved in what Jane believes is Cathy’s disappearance, but we know is murder. Jane reluctantly allows him to help her, but shares our doubts.

And Soon the Darkness is dripping in the era. As the film opens and the two young women ride their bikes down a long road with tall trees spread far apart, we hear quintessential 1970s music that becomes diegetic at the cafe. When’s the last time you heard a handsome man called, “dishy,” or a location called, “swinging?” I love the context of the latter:

I must say, this is the best place we’ve hit so far. It’s not exactly swinging, but it is dangling.

The cinematography and style is gorgeous, moody, and effective. Prior to Cathy meeting her fate, she’s lying in the sun and a shadow crosses her face. Even with eyes closed, she senses it and sits up. She decides to gather her things, but one pair of underwear she hung to dry is missing. When she turns to look behind her, they drop on her shoulder. She then turns and the camera acts as the killer’s point of view as she screams. (We don’t see who it is at this time and the movie is not gory in the least.)

There’s a lot of running and chasing in this movie. We feel Jane’s exhaustion as she hides in the closet of an abandoned trailer in some kind of junk yard. The killer is there, opening each door, when Cathy’s body falls on Jane and she must muffle her scream. It reminded me of the masterful bedroom closet scene in Halloween. Added in this are alternating close-ups of each character’s eyes. I could go on and on, but I highly recommend you watch it yourself. And Soon the Darkness was an unexpected revelation for me.

The Remake

And Soon the Darkness was remade in 2010 with most of the same plot points, but differences in some significant details. Instead of two British women riding their bikes across France, it’s two American women riding their bikes across Argentina. The screenplay was written by Jennifer Derwingson and the director, Marcos Efron, but wisely credits the 1970 film and its authors. Neither of the “modern” creators have any credits that I’d consider noteworthy. 

Stephanie (Amber Heard) is the “good” girl; Ellie (Odette Annable) is the “bad” girl. Michael (Karl Urban) is not a detective, though, he’s there investigating the disappearance of his girlfriend after hearing about women being taken across the river to Paraguay. He seems to know more than he’s saying and is familiar with the local police, so he’s just as suspicious as Paul in the original film. 

There isn’t as much “back and forth” in the remake, but there is as much running and chasing. An additional character is added as what we think is a red herring. It’s a handsome young man that gets a little too aggressive with Ellie when she dances suggestively in the bar to “I Touch Myself.” He’s the one that now follows the women, leaving Michael to rescue them from precarious situations.

And Soon the Darkness (2010) has a dirtier, grittier feel to it than the 1970 version and at times reminds me of one of its predecessors, Hostel (2005.) It’s not nearly as gruesome as that, but there is at least one woman held captive in a dark, filthy location, awaiting her fate. I don’t know if the motive of the bad guy(s) is meant to update the story as much as it is to capitalize on the real life disappearance of a Swiss cyclist who vanished during a 2004 ride in Argentina.

Neither do I know if it’s meant to reflect the real issue of sex trafficking. In this way, it perhaps takes itself more seriously than the original and is therefore not as much “fun,” as if movies about missing/dead women can be fun. To be clear, they’re not, but the excitement and suspense of a good thriller can be fun. As with any remake, I believe it matters which one you see first, but here, had I seen the 2010 version before the 1970 version, I doubt if I’d feel any differently.