Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- eerie
- oppressive
- late night horror
- arthouse horror night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as atmospheric, unsettling, original horror grounded by strong performances and a confident directorial debut.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sophia and Joseph spend days following elaborate occult instructions inside the isolated house.
The dilapidated countryside mansion contains nearly all of the rituals, conflicts, and escalating threats.
Sophia's pursuit of contact with her murdered son is intertwined with loss, revenge, forgiveness, and purification.
Joseph's sour, alcoholic demeanor and the film's tactile rituals anchor its fantastical elements in bleak human realism.
Films like A Dark Song, and why
The Witch
ritual-centered occult horror, isolated setting, and slow-building supernatural dread
The Blackcoat's Daughter
psychological grief, oppressive atmosphere, and unsettling supernatural ambiguity
The Exorcist
contained supernatural horror focused on ritual, faith, and escalating metaphysical terror
The Lodge
intimate grief-driven horror with austere pacing and disturbing spiritual imagery
Movie Details
- Director
- Liam Gavin
- Release Date
- 2016-07-08
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (602)
Cast
- Catherine Walker
- Steve Oram
- Mark Huberman
- Susan Loughnane
- Nathan Vos
- Martina Nunvarova
- Breffni O'Connor
- Sheila Moloney
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, YouTube TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, Shudder Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Dark Song about?
- A grieving mother and a dangerous occultist lock themselves inside a remote mansion to perform a ritual that may summon the dead or unleash something worse.
- What is A Dark Song like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Dark Song as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A Dark Song violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in A Dark Song as moderate.
- What did critics think of A Dark Song?
- Critics broadly praised the film as atmospheric, unsettling, original horror grounded by strong performances and a confident directorial debut.
- Which films are like A Dark Song?
- Films with a similar feel include The Witch, The Blackcoat's Daughter, The Exorcist, and The Lodge.
- How long is A Dark Song?
- A Dark Song runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Dark Song?
- In United States, A Dark Song streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, YouTube TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, Shudder Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel.
