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Libby Day was only seven years old when her family was brutally murdered in their rural Kansas farmhouse. Twenty-five years later, she agrees to revisit the crime and uncovers the wrenching truths that led up to that tragic night.
Let me start by stating I did not read Gillian Flynn’s bestseller ‘Dark Places.’ When I do see a film and I have read the book prior, trust me, the book is always better. So perhaps I went into this one a bit blind, without much pretense, because “Dark Places” is an outstanding mystery that had me guessing as the twists in the plot became thicker throughout. Flynn’s novel and film, “Gone Girl,” was also outstanding but making comparisons between the two films is not fair to “Dark Places.” It easily stands alone with a fantastic, albeit sometimes unbelievable, plot and strong characters.
We first meet Libby Day (Charlize Theron) in a grainy flashback when she is a mere seven years old. Her hard-working mother (Christina Hendricks) is telling Libby she loves her and from there we flash to current day. Libby is imprisoned in her own personal hell after the murder of her mother and two sisters of which happened mere minutes after Libby’s mother’s loving accolades towards her daughter. Convicted of the crime was her older brother, Ben (Corey Stoll), now going on 30 years. Present day Libby is understandably bitter and unfortunately also broken. She has been able to live off the generous donations from a sympathetic public but that has now faded and there is very little left. Enter Lyle Wirth (Nicholas Hoult), a kind of creepy but harmless guy that cajoles Libby to be a guest speaker for his club, one that specializes in finding details about gory murders from the past. The club also has a division that is much more interested in righting crimes that have the innocent imprisoned on charges they did not commit. Libby quickly finds out the real motive of her invitation is not to be a speaker but to sway her on the wrongful conviction of her brother.
And now begins the story of what really did happen that fateful night. At the tender age of seven, Libby was coerced to implicate Ben in the murders of her family. Now she is forced to revisit that decision and question everything she always believed was the truth.
The film captures the true events of the day in question by using flashbacks to unravel the mystery behind the murders. There were some pretty far-fetched plot twists that just seemed like no one would do as these people did but that does not deter from the unique plot. I, for one, love a good mystery especially when I gasp out loud, “Wow! I didn’t see that coming!” That is what “Dark Places” did for me. A bit implausible at times but that’s what made it a really great film. I’m not one that likes to have everything figured out within a few minutes after the film begins. The cast was sensational as well as the set with its flashbacks to the 80s. If you enjoy a good mystery with a twists and great acting, then don’t miss “Dark Places.”
In theaters August 7th
