In Darkness (2018)

In Darkness is the kind of slick, street-level London thriller that grabs you with a single unsettling premise and then keeps tightening the screws, scene by scene. Anthony Byrne directs with a noirish confidence—neon reflections, claustrophobic corridors, and a constant sense that someone is always listening—while Natalie Dormer anchors it all with a fierce, committed performance that makes every choice feel charged. The movie’s pleasures are in its mood and momentum: a mystery that slinks into the city’s grimy underworld and dares you to keep up as alliances shift and danger closes in. It’s not for viewers who want a cozy whodunit (there’s some sex, some violence, and a few pulpy turns), but if you’re on the fence and craving a stylish, tense ride with real bite, this one earns your attention.

In Darkness wants to be a slick, twisty London noir with a vulnerable heroine pulled into a criminal web, and it does have a gritty atmosphere plus a committed lead performance from Natalie Dormer. The problem is it keeps piling on reveals, shady characters, and backstory until the suspense starts feeling more like homework than tension, and a lot of the beats play like familiar thriller checkboxes rather than fresh surprises. If you’re allergic to convoluted plotting, soapier-than-it-thinks twists, or stories that rely on constant deception to stay interesting, this will likely test your patience. But if you’re in the mood for a pulpy, adult-leaning mystery with some stylish moments and don’t mind a messy ride, you may still get a decent late-night watch out of it.