What Happens in the Dark – TUBI Review (1/5)

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DARK on TUBI is a new thriller that really doesn’t have much heart or passion. In fact, it feels very forced and lackluster. Sure, there’s a steamy scene and it’s chockful of tropes, but that’s about it. A shame really. Read our full What Happens in the Dark movie review here!

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DARK is a new TUBI thriller and it really isn’t anywhere near as good as it could have been. Most of the cast deliver performances that vary between being lackluster and just plain harmful. There is no passion or depth anywhere in the story and you’ll be predicting the “twists” way ahead of time.

The story essentially ends where it begins, so in that sense, it does manage to go full circle. Also, make sure you stick around for the end-credit scene that comes fairly early. More of a mid-credit scene, I suppose. Just prepare for a scene that drags on exactly as much as everything else in this movie does. Even more so, almost.

Continue reading our What Happens in the Dark movie review below. Find it on TUBI from September 14, 2023.

Dialogue based on greeting cards?

I know TUBI movies are low-budget productions, but that doesn’t mean the story or acting needs to be bad. In fact, we’ve reviewed plenty of movies with both big-budget and virtually non-existent budgets. When it comes to these movies where special effects aren’t involved, it all comes down to the story and acting – and directing, obviously – and that’s where this movie really suffers.

Of course, when the actors are forced to speak lines that sound like they come from Hallmark greeting cards, they’re challenged. To put it mildly. And yet, some of them manage to get away with it so much better.

However, having a suave salesman quoting Rosa Parks when speaking about selling luxury condos is just plain dirty. I mean, WTF?! Do you want to quote civil rights activist Rosa Parks to get your co-workers to sell more? That’s just wrong.

Then again, I admit that we are dealing with a real douchebag, so I guess it does feel in line with his character. Or lack thereof.

So very slow

The plot of What Happens in the Dark is very simple as it has to do with the past catching up to our main character Trevor. He’s a businessman and husband, but also the aforementioned douchebag. When he becomes “haunted by his repeated betrayal of loved ones” it feels fair.

However saying “his past catches up with him” is not exactly true, as he is still very much an idiot in the present.

Hakeem Sharif stars as Trevor and I honestly cannot tell if the character is just very badly written or if I find his portrayal bad. Maybe it’s a combination?! Also, he does end up playing several “versions” of his character as he deals with all the bad decisions Trevor has ever made – and continues to make.

You can watch What Happens in the Dark on TUBI now!

What Happens in the Dark is directed by J. Ford who also took part in coming up with the story. The actual screenplay comes from Melanie Clarke-Penella. She was an executive producer on the TUBI movie The Housekeeper which did manage to take a deliciously kitsch direction.

While this TUBI movie is both a drama and a thriller, it does evolve ever so slowly. We have to sit through business presentations and little yoga scenes, which definitely do not need to take this long. Even those steamy moments seem to drag on for far too long. It just feels exploitative and not very hot.

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These moments (and tropes) are dragged out for too long for a movie that is barely 80 minutes long in total – with five minutes of the official runtime being credits. When there’s no heart of passion in a movie, I could at least hope for it to be kitsch or campy, but that is not what this movie is intended to be. The result is a story that feels forced and a lackluster experience for the viewer.

What Happens in the Dark is on TUBI from September 14, 2023.

Details

Director: J. Ford
Script: Melanie Clarke-Penella
Stars: Hakeem Sharif, Adriana Alphonso, Lexi DiLucia, Eric Nolan, Alvin Frazier