Plagued by waking nightmares, two siblings suspect that something evil is taking over their family. A film by Bryan Bertino, starring Marin Ireland, Michael Abbott Jr., Julie Oliver-Touchstone, Lynn Andrews, Tom Nowicki, and Xander Berkeley.

One night on the farm, a herd of sheep senses something invisible and sinister approaching. As a deterrent to predators, the bells and bottles start to shake violently. Alarmed, the sheep bleat in panic and scatter. Suddenly, the noises fade away.

An elderly woman (Julie Oliver-Touchstone) takes care of her chronically ill husband. Since her husband (Michael Zagst) has fallen ill, she has become the person who takes care of the house and the farm. While chopping an onion in the kitchen, she hears the sound of something creaking. As she turns around, she finds a dining chair moved by itself to the center of the kitchen. The woman stares blankly at the dining chair as if someone is sitting there.

The next day, Louise (Marin Ireland), the elderly woman’s daughter, arrives at the farmhouse to visit her father. Louise’s mother seems unpleased and tells her that her brother, Michael (Michael Abbott Jr.) , got here a couple of hours ago. She insists she told them not to come and that they don’t need to be here. Louise’s father appears to be resting, wearing a nasal cannula.

At dinner, the siblings notice their mother acting reclusive and disturbed. Michael and Louise think their mother might be depressed, having to live here alone after their father fell ill and possibly in his final stages now. Michael tries to reassure their mother, telling her everything will be okay. Instead, their mother just stares and asks what will be okay? She starts to cry and angrily comments that her children never listen to her. She yells at them to just go back to their homes.

Confused about what just happened at the dining table, the siblings discuss what they should do next. As they both agree they can’t just leave their mother like this, they decide to stay for a while. That night, while Louise is alone in the kitchen, she hears the door creak. As she looks there, the house door that she just closed is now open. Louise walks towards the door, passing her parents’ bedroom, unaware of a shadowy figure standing at her parents’ doorway. Louise observes outside and sees nothing amiss. She convinces herself it must be the wind.

As Michael catalogues bills and expenses, a humming sound catches his attention. He hears his mother humming a verse from “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” while she’s chopping vegetables. Michael tries to comfort his mother and pleads with her to get some sleep. His mother once again tells him that Michael and Louise should leave, but Michael insists on staying. His mother then tells him that it’s not what he thinks. But when Michael asks his mother what it is, she ignores his question and continues chopping vegetables.

“What a Friend We Have in Jesus” is a Christian hymn written by Joseph M. Scriven in 1855. The hymn was originally a poem written to comfort Scriven’s mother, who was living in Ireland while he was in Canada. Scriven’s mother died, and he later moved to Canada, where he met and fell in love again, only to lose his second fiancée as well. He then dedicated his life to helping the poor and handicapped, finding comfort and purpose in serving others. The hymn was later set to music by Charles Crozat Converse in 1868 and has since become a popular and enduring Christian song.

Alone after Michael retires to bed, the mother continues chopping carrots. The rhythmic chopping is abruptly interrupted by the sound of a scraping chair. She pauses, then resumes with a vengeance, the chopping growing manic. Suddenly, with a horrifying shriek, she severs her own fingers and continues chopping them into smaller and smaller pieces,

The next morning, Michael and Louise are terrified to discover a piece of finger in the kitchen sink and a trail of blood on the cutting board and floor. Panicked, they search the farm for their mother, screaming for her. Louise stumbles upon a horrifying sight – their mother hanging in the barn. They frantically cut the rope, but it’s too late. Their mother has been dead for some time, possibly since the night before.

The nurse their mother hired to care for their chronically ill father arrives and reveals a disturbing detail. She tells Michael and Louise that their mother often spoke when she thought no one was listening. The nurse describes seeing their mother sit beside their father, whispering as if to someone else in the room.

Louise wrestles with the question of why their mother committed suicide, and who she was talking to during her last days. Michael, on the other hand, urges Louise to stop trying to make sense of everything. He insists their mother was insane, evidenced by chopping off her fingers and hanging herself. Strange things begin to manifest. Louise has a vision of her chronically ill father standing in the bathroom.

Then Michael finds their mother’s diary. On the last page, Michael reads aloud for Louise: “I know he’s there, in the darkness. Help me. Help me, please. He’s killing David. He can’t breathe anymore. There’s nothing I can do to stop it. Devil, devil, devil. He wants David’s soul.” The passage in the diary is chilling. It implies that an evil entity has entered their parents’ home and wants to claim their father’s soul.

Written and directed by American filmmaker Bryan Bertino, “THE DARK AND THE WICKED” is a supernatural horror film that grabs our attention from the start with its intriguing premise. The narrative unfolds in a linear timeframe, a seemingly ordinary detail that becomes increasingly significant as the story progresses.

The film’s narrative unfolds slowly, building dread with each passing scene. Bertino masterfully utilizes silence and subtle imagery to create a suffocating atmosphere. The farmhouse itself becomes a character, its creaking floorboards and oppressive shadows amplifying the sense of unease.

The film begins on Monday, and each passing day acts as a marker of escalating horror. This unique structure builds tension as the characters inch closer to a terrifying climax, playing on our expectations and heightening our anticipation for the wicked twists and turns that mark the film’s final day.

I love how the film compares the unseen devil and evil spirits with wolves. It’s never about whether you believe they are real or not. As the wolves are still wolves no matter if the sheep believe they exist, the evil entity remains a threat regardless of belief. Although, it’s impossible to stop this entity that wants to claim human souls by building a wall or locking your door. There are no mortal weapons that can destroy it either.

Marin Ireland delivers a powerhouse performance as Louise, a woman wrestling with grief, helplessness, and a desperate need to understand the deteriorating situation. Her character arc is believable and emotionally raw, drawing the viewer into her escalating fear and confusion. Michael Abbott Jr. is equally impressive as Michael, portraying the stoic brother struggling to maintain a sense of normalcy amidst the mounting horror. Their sibling dynamic feels genuine, adding another layer of emotional resonance to the narrative.

THE DARK AND THE WICKED premiered at Fantasia Festival on 28 June 2020. The film received a limited theatrical release in the United States on 6 November.