Plenty of filmmakers try to subvert standard horror tropes, but Justin P. Lange, the writer-director making his feature debut with The Dark, actually does a good job of it.

This is weighty material for a slim film, and the direction by Justin P. Lange is heavy-handed. Mina and Alex seem less like teenagers and more like case studies with traumas rather than personalities.

When "The Dark" clicks (which is often), it's a moving and poetic tale about how neglect and abuse can turn people into freaky beasts, and how love can bring them back.

The Dark is a horror movie that faces the real horrors of abuse that too many are familiar with. It is slow at times, demanding a little patience from the viewer, but it is worth it.