I sometimes forget who I’m talking to in the middle of a conversation. U-m-m…sorry, mom!
Thankfully, Keegan Dark, the enigmatic hero of Jody Wheeler’s recent thriller The Dark Place, doesn’t have that problem. His ability to conjure up images of his life, within the texture of video-like flashbacks, helps save him when his mother mysteriously falls into a coma and he, ultimately, becomes the primary suspect.
Wheeler’s script, here, reads like a Lifetime Television mystery (which isn’t a bad thing in my book) only with a handsome male as the primary focus as opposed to a woman. He provides some nice twists and, as a director, he keeps events moving at a snappy pace, as well.
The production, also, benefits immensely from the presence of Blaise Embry as Keegan. Embry engages even in Keegan’s more petulant moments and he allows a subtle layer of subdued hurt to emerge in the film’s quieter sequences, as well. Fine assistance appears in the forms of Timo Descamps and Shannon Day as Keegan’s boyfriend Will and his estranged mother Celeste, too. Those portraying the characters with (possibly) more mysterious agendas are fine, as well, if somewhat lacking in the necessary edge to make their more sinister actions totally believable.
Still, for those who are tired of gay thrillers that revolve around issues of hatred and oppression (such as 2005’s fine Hate Crime and 2011’s luridly fun Into the Lion’s Den), The Dark Place is an intriguing, sometimes very imaginative place to visit.
The Dark Place was released in November 2014 by Breaking Glass Pictures (www.bgpics.com). Its official Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/TheDarkPlaceMovie.
Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!
Big Gay Horror Fan 