Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- oppressive
- bleak
- late night horror viewing
- haunted house double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly found the period supernatural premise and domestic horror atmosphere undercut by an uneven, conventional execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Maynard family's dream house becomes a hostile environment occupied by a persistent presence.
The poltergeists increasingly focus their attacks on Sally, forcing Len and Jenny to protect her.
The haunting unfolds amid Britain's 1974 recession, oil crisis, and looming blackouts.
The family's conflict develops through increasingly dangerous attacks by poltergeists inside the house.
Films like When the Lights Went Out, and why
The Conjuring
supernatural domestic haunting, family vulnerability, and escalating poltergeist terror
The Amityville Horror
period-set haunted-house horror centered on a threatened child and parental desperation
The Entity
bleak family-centered supernatural horror with a malign presence invading domestic space
Movie Details
- Director
- Pat Holden
- Release Date
- 2012-01-31
- Runtime
- 86 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (135)
Cast
- Steven Waddington
- Kate Ashfield
- Jo Hartley
- Tasha Connor
- Molly Windsor
- Craig Parkinson
- Andrea Lowe
- Martin Compston
- Gary Lewis
- Hannah Clifford
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is When the Lights Went Out about?
- A fragile Yorkshire family faces a relentless poltergeist presence that turns their dream home into a battle for their daughter's survival.
- What is When the Lights Went Out like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of When the Lights Went Out as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is When the Lights Went Out violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in When the Lights Went Out as mild.
- What did critics think of When the Lights Went Out?
- Critics broadly found the period supernatural premise and domestic horror atmosphere undercut by an uneven, conventional execution.
- Which films are like When the Lights Went Out?
- Films with a similar feel include The Conjuring, The Amityville Horror, and The Entity.
- How long is When the Lights Went Out?
- When the Lights Went Out runs 86 minutes.
- Where can I watch When the Lights Went Out?
- In United States, When the Lights Went Out streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
