In Search of Darkness
A sprawling and celebratory oral history of the 1980s horror boom, told by the artists who made its nightmares endure.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- enthusiastic
- nostalgic
- witty
- horror marathon
- film club viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the documentary as a comprehensive, affectionate, entertaining, and remarkably watchable history of 1980s horror despite its information-heavy length.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Actors, directors, producers, and special-effects craftspeople recount the development and impact of 1980s horror.
The documentary presents 1980s horror as a transformative period that changed big-screen genre cinema.
Its comprehensive research and fan-oriented interviews turn enthusiasm for horror cinema into an extensive historical record.
The 264-minute runtime supports an unusually broad survey of films, creators, techniques, and cultural impact.
Films like In Search of Darkness, and why
Nightmares in Red, White and Blue
Both are expansive documentary histories of horror cinema built from interviews with influential filmmakers and performers.
The American Nightmare
Both use archival material and expert testimony to examine the evolution and cultural impact of horror filmmaking.
Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror
Both are affectionate, interview-driven explorations of genre history aimed at dedicated horror audiences.
Movie Details
- Director
- David A. Weiner
- Release Date
- 2019-05-01
- Runtime
- 264 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (109)
Cast
- Tom Atkins
- John Bloom
- Doug Bradley
- Lori Cardille
- John Carpenter
- Nick Castle
- Larry Cohen
- Jeffrey Combs
- Barbara Crampton
- Sean S. Cunningham
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is In Search of Darkness about?
- A sprawling and celebratory oral history of the 1980s horror boom, told by the artists who made its nightmares endure.
- What is In Search of Darkness like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of In Search of Darkness as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is In Search of Darkness violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in In Search of Darkness as graphic.
- What did critics think of In Search of Darkness?
- Critics broadly regard the documentary as a comprehensive, affectionate, entertaining, and remarkably watchable history of 1980s horror despite its information-heavy length.
- Which films are like In Search of Darkness?
- Films with a similar feel include Nightmares in Red, White and Blue, The American Nightmare, and Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror.
- How long is In Search of Darkness?
- In Search of Darkness runs 264 minutes.
- Where can I watch In Search of Darkness?
- In United States, In Search of Darkness streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
