Darkness Falls (2003 film)
Encyclopedia
Darkness Falls is a 2003 American horror film
written by Joe Harris
and John Fasano and directed by Jonathan Liebesman
.
) begins with the legend of a widow
, Matilda Dixon, who was adored by all the town's children. Matilda gave them gifts and gold coins when they lost a tooth
, thus earning her the name "Tooth Fairy
."
After a fire in her home left her horribly disfigured
with an extreme sensitivity to light
, she wore a porcelain
mask, and only went out at night.
Although the children adored Matilda, the adults were suspicious of her and one day, when two children went missing, the townspeople quickly blamed Matilda and hanged her, ripping off her porcelain mask and exposing her face to the light. Out of anger and betrayal, Matilda promised her vengeance. Soon afterward, the two missing children returned home unharmed. The town, realizing their mistake, quickly buried Matilda's body along with their secret.
The story of Matilda Dixon, the Tooth Fairy, is told to many generations after the murder, and it is believed that her spirit
visits children on the night they lose their last baby tooth
, where she seeks her vengeance if they see her.
The story begins when Kyle Walsh, an antisocial teenager, befriended only by his secret infatuation, Caitlin Greene, loses his last baby tooth. He soon realizes that the story of Matilda Dixon is not just a fable
when he sees her in his room. Realizing that light is her weakness, he shines a flashlight
into her face and hides in the bright lights of the bathroom. His mother, in trying to convince him there's nothing in his room, is killed after seeing the Tooth Fairy. The next morning, as the police arrive, Kyle is taken to a mental hospital after speculations that he himself killed his mother.
Twelve years later, Caitlin Greene calls a secluded Kyle to ask for his help with her younger brother, Michael, who refuses to sleep in the dark. After a visit to the hospital to talk to Michael - with his bag of flashlights, his "peace of mind" - Kyle soon realizes that Michael has had an encounter with the Tooth Fairy. Michael, like Kyle, now has a gripping fear of the dark
, and is thought to have gone insane
. Afraid of the truth, Kyle at first denies any relation to his condition, and walks away from Caitlin.
United with his childhood neighbors, Kyle attempts to warn others of the Tooth Fairy and tells them to stay in the light. The ridicule that he faces leads to the death of many townspeople. He soon gains allies as they realize the truth within his story. To add to the terror, a storm causes a disturbance in the power grid for the town, just as Kyle loses his bag of flashlights to the police when he is arrested and questioned about the sudden rise in the death toll. After convincing the police that his story is true, Kyle, Michael and Caitlin decide to lead the Tooth Fairy to the largest source of light in the town - the lighthouse
. They are assisted by several medical personnel, all of whom are killed by the Tooth Fairy on the way.
In an attempt to destroy her, Kyle truly faces the demon as he rips off her porcelain mask and ignites her. This fate is tested when another young child loses his last baby tooth and awaits the Tooth Fairy, only to find, to the audience's knowledge, that his mother replaces the tooth with a gold coin, indicating that the story is over and the tooth fairy has been destroyed forever.
, 9% of critics gave the film a positive review out of 126 reviews, with an average rating of 3.3/10; the critical consensus is: "A derivative movie where the scares are few and things don't make much sense."
Darkness Falls fared better commercially, opening at number one in the American box office
and recouped its $11 million budget in its opening weekend on January 24, 2003 making $32,551,396 domestically and $47,488,536 worldwide.
wrote a novelization of the film which was published by Pocket Books in December 2002.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
written by Joe Harris
Joe Harris (filmmaker)
Joe Harris is an American comic book writer, filmmaker, and screenwriter. He made his big screen debut in 2003 with his screenplay for the Sony Pictures release Darkness Falls.-Career:...
and John Fasano and directed by Jonathan Liebesman
Jonathan Liebesman
Jonathan Liebesman is a South African film director.-Personal life:Liebesman was born in Johannesburg, South Africa...
.
Plot
The story of the town Darkness Falls, (which is based on the town of Fall River, MassachusettsFall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
) begins with the legend of a widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
, Matilda Dixon, who was adored by all the town's children. Matilda gave them gifts and gold coins when they lost a tooth
Tooth
Teeth are small, calcified, whitish structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or for defensive purposes. The roots of teeth are embedded in the Mandible bone or the Maxillary bone and are...
, thus earning her the name "Tooth Fairy
Tooth fairy
The tooth fairy is a fantasy figure of early childhood. The folklore states that when a child loses a baby tooth, if he or she places it beneath the bed pillow, the tooth fairy will visit while the child sleeps, replacing the lost tooth with a small payment....
."
After a fire in her home left her horribly disfigured
Disfigurement
Disfigurement is the state of having one's appearance deeply and persistently harmed medically, as from a disease, birth defect, or wound.Disfigurement, whether caused by a benign or malignant condition, often leads to severe psychosocial problems such as negative body image; depression;...
with an extreme sensitivity to light
Photodermatitis
Photodermatitis, sometimes referred to as "sun poisoning" or photoallergy is a form of allergic contact dermatitis in which the allergen must be activated by light to sensitize the allergic response, and to cause a rash or other systemic effects on subsequent exposure...
, she wore a porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
mask, and only went out at night.
Although the children adored Matilda, the adults were suspicious of her and one day, when two children went missing, the townspeople quickly blamed Matilda and hanged her, ripping off her porcelain mask and exposing her face to the light. Out of anger and betrayal, Matilda promised her vengeance. Soon afterward, the two missing children returned home unharmed. The town, realizing their mistake, quickly buried Matilda's body along with their secret.
The story of Matilda Dixon, the Tooth Fairy, is told to many generations after the murder, and it is believed that her spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
visits children on the night they lose their last baby tooth
Deciduous teeth
Deciduous teeth, otherwise known as reborner teeth, baby teeth, temporary teeth and primary teeth, are the first set of teeth in the growth development of humans and many other mammals. In some Asian countries they are referred to as fall teeth as they will eventually fall out, while in almost all...
, where she seeks her vengeance if they see her.
The story begins when Kyle Walsh, an antisocial teenager, befriended only by his secret infatuation, Caitlin Greene, loses his last baby tooth. He soon realizes that the story of Matilda Dixon is not just a fable
Fable
A fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.A fable differs from...
when he sees her in his room. Realizing that light is her weakness, he shines a flashlight
Flashlight
A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
into her face and hides in the bright lights of the bathroom. His mother, in trying to convince him there's nothing in his room, is killed after seeing the Tooth Fairy. The next morning, as the police arrive, Kyle is taken to a mental hospital after speculations that he himself killed his mother.
Twelve years later, Caitlin Greene calls a secluded Kyle to ask for his help with her younger brother, Michael, who refuses to sleep in the dark. After a visit to the hospital to talk to Michael - with his bag of flashlights, his "peace of mind" - Kyle soon realizes that Michael has had an encounter with the Tooth Fairy. Michael, like Kyle, now has a gripping fear of the dark
Fear of the dark
The fear of the dark is a common fear among children and to a varying degree is observed for adults. Fear of the dark is usually not fear of the darkness itself, but fear of possible or imagined dangers concealed by the darkness. Some degree of fear of the dark is natural, especially as a phase of...
, and is thought to have gone insane
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
. Afraid of the truth, Kyle at first denies any relation to his condition, and walks away from Caitlin.
United with his childhood neighbors, Kyle attempts to warn others of the Tooth Fairy and tells them to stay in the light. The ridicule that he faces leads to the death of many townspeople. He soon gains allies as they realize the truth within his story. To add to the terror, a storm causes a disturbance in the power grid for the town, just as Kyle loses his bag of flashlights to the police when he is arrested and questioned about the sudden rise in the death toll. After convincing the police that his story is true, Kyle, Michael and Caitlin decide to lead the Tooth Fairy to the largest source of light in the town - the lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
. They are assisted by several medical personnel, all of whom are killed by the Tooth Fairy on the way.
In an attempt to destroy her, Kyle truly faces the demon as he rips off her porcelain mask and ignites her. This fate is tested when another young child loses his last baby tooth and awaits the Tooth Fairy, only to find, to the audience's knowledge, that his mother replaces the tooth with a gold coin, indicating that the story is over and the tooth fairy has been destroyed forever.
Cast
- Chaney KleyChaney KleyChaney Kley was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Kley was born Chaney Kley Minnis in Manassas, Virginia. Kley attended the Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver, Colorado, and the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. He gained a BFA in acting...
as Kyle Walsh - Emma CaulfieldEmma CaulfieldEmma Caulfield is an American actress best known for her role as ex-demon Anya Jenkins on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as Susan Keats, a love interest of Brandon Walsh's on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210.-Early life:Emma Caulfield was born Emma Chukker in San...
as Caitlin Greene - Lee CormieLee CormieLee Cormie is an Australian actor in Melbourne, Australia mostly known for his starring roles in number 1 US Box Office hit Darkness Falls and Australian film December Boys alongside Daniel Radcliffe.-Biography:...
as Michael Greene - Grant PiroGrant PiroGrant Piro is an Australian actor. He is best known as the host of the children's television show Couch Potato on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.- Television credits :* Sons and Daughters * Captain Johnno telemovie...
as Larry Fleishman - John Stanton as CaptainPolice captain- France :France uses the rank of capitaine for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to lieutenant and junior to commandant....
Thomas Henry - Sullivan StapletonSullivan StapletonSullivan Stapleton is an Australian actor, who has appeared in many television series but is best known from his roles in Satisfaction and The Secret Life of Us.-Career:...
as OfficerPolice officerA police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
Matt Henry - Steve MouzakisSteve MouzakisSteve Mouzakis is an Australian actor who has had numerous television and film roles. He is best known for his roles as Theo Kallergis in Blue Heelers, Paolo in The Secret Life of Us and Rolf in Very Small Business.-External links:...
as Dr. Peter Murphy - Peter CurtinPeter CurtinPeter Curtin is an Australian television actor. He has been married to Ailsa Piper since 1987.-Filmography:*Winner Take All *Bluey as Blair Thompson /Dave Brown *Skyways as David Kerridge*Blood Money as Dan...
as Dr. Travis - Emily BrowningEmily BrowningEmily Jane Browning is an Australian film actress and fashion model, known for her roles as Violet Baudelaire in Brad Silberling's 2004 film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, as Anna Ivers in the 2009 film The Uninvited, as Babydoll in Zack Snyder's 2011 action thriller Sucker...
as Young Caitlin Greene - Antony Burrows as Matilda Dixon
Reception
Darkness Falls was panned by critics upon its release. According to review aggregate website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, 9% of critics gave the film a positive review out of 126 reviews, with an average rating of 3.3/10; the critical consensus is: "A derivative movie where the scares are few and things don't make much sense."
Darkness Falls fared better commercially, opening at number one in the American box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
and recouped its $11 million budget in its opening weekend on January 24, 2003 making $32,551,396 domestically and $47,488,536 worldwide.
Books
Joe Harris wrote Darkness Falls: The Tragic Life of Matilda Dixon, a prequel comic, which was published by Dark Horse Comics. Author Keith R. A. DeCandidoKeith R. A. DeCandido
Keith Robert Andreassi DeCandido is an American science fiction and fantasy writer and musician, who works on comic books, novels, role-playing games and video games, including numerous media tie-in books for properties such as Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Supernatural,...
wrote a novelization of the film which was published by Pocket Books in December 2002.