Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Nitzan Havoc If you're a Horror fan such as myself, you must have noticed by now that this profound underrated genre has a few different types of films, other than having a few sub-genres. The Dark Hours, a Canadian production, is much like a combination between Funny Games (where two psychopathic killers take a family hostage and forces then to play sadistic games) and any film (take your pick) where the protagonist can't tell fantasy from reality due to a mental condition.In some films, the effects of fear and unpleasantness are achieved by frightening and startling the spectators, often using cheap cheats like sudden loud music. Not such is the case in The Dark Hours. In this film, the audience is, in a way, tortured along with the characters.Nothing makes a good Horror film great like some unexpected and surprising twists. In this film - what at first bothered me was the fact that the questions asked aren't fully answered. Meaning, the audience can't know for sure what really happened, and what didn't. Eventually, I realized that this feature was exactly what made this film what it is.What's real? What really happened, and what happened only in the protagonist's imagination? Come the film's end - you'll be debating with your friends (or yourself), as the film provides "half-proofs" to support or disprove any theory.Personally, I prefer it when the twists and endings of films do in fact answer all the the questions the original story plants in the spectators' minds, making us go "Ohhhhhh, now I get it!". Still, I really appreciate the M.O this film uses to invoke confusion and despair.I do think tagging this film "sci-fi" is pretty inaccurate, but I guess this is a matter of personal interpretation like almost everything else about it.All in all, The Dark Hours proved to be an original and mind-blowing film, taking the audience for a ride of questions and confusion. For me - that has really done the trick. Very highly recommended for any Horror fan who enjoys it when films successfully mess with their minds!

sol1218 ***SPOILER ALERT*** Excellent psychological thriller involving psychiatrist and doctor Samantha-or just plain Sam- Goodman, Kate Greenhouse, who gets involved with one of her former patients gay serial murder Harlan Pyne, Aidan Devine, and his accomplice the creepy and rodent-looking Adrian, Dov Tiefenbach.The two break into Sam and her husbands writer David's, Gordon Currie, cottage where their spending the weekend together with Sam's kid sister Melody, Iris Graham, talking over old times. It turns out that Harlan has been very upset with Sam in her series of mind games that she played with him back in the mental institution. Now with him having her, together with David & Melody, where he wants them Harlan decides to give Sam a taste of her own medicine.We learned earlier in the film that Sam is suffering from a malignant cancerous Ruckman brain tumor that's expected to take her life within a year. Taking large doses of Demenopril, the only medication that can possibly shrink the tumor, has Sam's mind play tricks on Sam that plays right into the sick and murderous games that Harlan has in store for her!***SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON***These mind games that Harlan plays with Sam as well as David and Melody together with the drug Demenpril distorts Sam's sense of reality to the point where she envisions that David and Melody are having a affair behind her back. The second half of the movie has Sam completely lose it in that her sense of guilt, in her feeling that she miss-evaluated Harlan back in the mental institution, and her suspicions of her husbands and sisters infidelity leads her to do unspeakable things to herself. When it's-the nightmare- finally over Sam realizes that her mind,effected by her brain tumor, had more to do with her uncontrollable paranoia then even Harlan did! And it was that paranoia that not only caused Sam to lose her mind but her life as well!P.S Despite being one of the better psychological horror dramas released back in 2005 ""The Dark Hours" only generated a meager $423.00 at the box office during it's entire release. Released in just one theater, The Two Boots Pioneer Theater on East 3rd Street, in Manhattan's East Village on October 13, 2005 the movie barley lasted a week! Even though it received favorable reviews from prestigious newspapers like the NY Times as well as other media outlets. It's surprising that the film wasn't released straight to video-or DVD-where it would have made a much better, together with word of mouth, showing.

chrichtonsworld When I came across the title I had The Dark in mind. It had Sean Bean and Maria Bello and looked like the more interesting one. But that one turned out to be quite awful. Hence I felt eager to give The Dark Hours a chance. Surely a psychological thriller would be more interesting than your typical supernatural horror? But I have to say that this wasn't the case. The Dark Hours does begin very interesting but ends up a very flat story. I have problems with the fact that this movie is being called a psychological thriller. For me a thriller has to do certain things to be categorized as one. It should do more than just feature a character with psychological issues. Preferably it should tell you a story with twists and turns (that aren't obvious) in order to play with the viewers mind and give the viewer something to think about. Or in the least give you a viewing experience that puts you on this thrill ride (whether it is realistic or far fetched). Especially if the ride is full of unpredictable and surprising moments. Let's be real here. Psychology while mostly interesting and compelling can be downright boring if it is too average and predictable. So how does The Dark Hours fare? Sadly this film doesn't deliver on what is promised. It uses some nice tricks, but too much is given away very early on and you just know something is wrong with one of the persons involved. Just look at the trailer underneath where that plot element is given away. If they had excluded this or not addressed this as profoundly then maybe it would have been shocking. Now I must admit the trailer does suggest that the film is focused on terror and therefore could have been very thrilling. If only they had kept the viewer guessing of what really was going on and make you doubt constantly to know what is real or not. And to then be served with the conclusion they give you certainly would have made an impact. There are a lot of flaws in the plot which could be forgiven if real surprises were in store for the viewer. But people, the movie doesn't offer much on this front. It has some gory moments. Only not done in a matter that could be considered exciting. Despite I could appreciate the attempt to make this kind of thriller.So what are my thoughts now (in 2016)? Honestly, I can't even remember the title let alone that I have seen it. Craziest thing is that I can recall having seen the more awful The Dark. I think I also should have added that a psychological thriller at least should be memorable. The Dark Hours isn't by a long shot. Now this could be one that would be perfect for very late night viewings. You know when you already are half asleep but conscious enough to follow a story. Other than that I can't recommend this at all.

CineCritic2517 I just stopped my VCR. I'm now about a half hour into the movie and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to see any more if this crap. They already had like a zillion opportunities to grab the gun and be on with their merry little lives but now the gun is practically handed to them. What do they do, they ask the gunman if he's been abused as a kid or something I don't know exactly, I stopped the VCR in the middle of the question.That's not a minor defect in the story, it is what is completely ruining it. It's for everyone to see and yet this flick gets a 6.4 and the first comment about this movie states "excellent".I'm moving to another planet. cheers!