A DARK PLACE INSIDE (2014)
A Dark Place Inside (2014)
Director: Mike O’Mahony. Cast: Chris Dalbey, Genoveva Rossi, Rob Dimension, Anthony Edward Curry.
A Review by Mario Dominick
Filmmaker Mike O’Mahony of Maniac Films for the past four years has given us some of the sickest and most outrageous but fun, humorous and absurd underground slasher/gore flicks. Deadly Detour is a gory and trashy slasher with plenty of toilet humor and offensive shenanigans, Sloppy the Psychotic is another outrageously sick and envelope pushing slasher with a birthday clown turned psycho, and I.B.S. (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is a joke-laden slasher about a guy’s medical condition that turns him into a chainsaw wielding maniac. His latest effort A Dark Place Inside is more than just another stalk and slash effort. In fact, it goes in a totally different direction than his previous three films by deemphasizing the cheesy and over-the-top humor and embracing a serious, dark and unsettling tone that makes it one of the most disturbing serial killer flicks in recent years.
A Dark Place Inside introduces us to Andy (played by Chris Dalbey), an individual deeply troubled by memories of a traumatic childhood and the physical and sexual abuses he endured at the hands of his father. He stalks and preys on unsuspecting women who, when encountering his wrath, become the subject of his nightmarish activities that are of a most perverse and horrific nature. A twisted fixation with his mother and necrophilia are among just a few of Andy’s pleasures behind his murderous deeds.
Totally breaking away from the cheesy and humorous tones of Deadly Detour, Sloppy, and I.B.S., A Dark Place Inside embraces the dark and disturbing serial killer themes of films like Maniac, Henry, Don’t Go in the House, Angst, and others. Similarities to Jason Koch’s underground hit 7th Day are also noticeable.
A Dark Place Inside is a welcome entry in the serial killer subgenre of horror and perhaps Mike O’Mahony’s most accomplished film to date. The squeamish are advised to stay away however. It’s a gruesome and effective look at the twisted mind of a psycho and is guaranteed to stay with you after the credits roll.
The film is now available on DVD from Sector 5 Films. The DVD features a director’s commentary and trailers as extras. www.sector5films.net
