Darling, Insanity and the Devil

Murder...mayhem....gore....carnage....ghosts....Satan.....insanity....yep, all ingredients in 2015's "Darling."  An over simplification of this story would compare it to Roman Polanski's "Repulsion." Writer and Director Mickey Keating ("Pod") has crafted a creepy tale of a young lady spiraling down into madness and murder.  Perhaps influenced by both Mr. Polanski and David Lynch, this is one that will have you squirming.  But wait!  Is she spiraling down into madness, or is she already there as our story commences?

Madame (Sean Young...yep, the beauty from "No Way Out") hires a young lady to be caretaker of her New York City mansion while she is away.  The lady, referred to as Darling (Lauren Ashley Carter) exudes professionalism, an air of refinement, and perhaps a breeze of the unstable.  Madame accidentally tells Darling that the previous caretaker, also a young lady, threw herself to her death by jumping off the balcony.  Once alone, Darling finds a locked room...never good.  Then the noises start, mixed in with some weird voices.  Just like Catherine Deneuve in the Polanski classic, Darling seems to lose control of reality.  Does the mansion's sordid reputation have anything to do with that? Perhaps, as the locals know the mansion as a place where a previous owner attempted to conjure up Satan.

Okay...enter Henry (Brian Morvant).  After a chance meeting with him, Darling pursues him like a hungry pit bull after a lamb chop.  Who is Henry?  Darling knows...which will not serve him well. Is Henry really who Darling believes him to be?  Either way, Darling will inflict a most gruesome fate on this poor chap that will have you turning your head.  Is it Satan or is it madness?  Exactly who is Darling?  Is she merely a victim of the evil ghosts of this mansion?

Filmed in black and white, with a haunting score, "Darling" is a most captivating film.  Doom, evil, and a lurid sense of where this one will end up keep the viewer mesmerized.  The acting and direction are terrific, kudos to Mr. Keating and his cast. What every fan of these types of films knows, beware of the sweet diminutive ones, they're the ones that....well....just watch this film to find that out.  "Darling" is available on Netflix.