Lights Out (2016 film)

Lights Out

Theatrical release poster
Directed by David F. Sandberg
Produced by
Screenplay by Eric Heisserer
Based on Lights Out
by David F. Sandberg
Starring
Music by Benjamin Wallfisch
Cinematography Marc Spicer
Edited by Kirk Morri
Michel Aller
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
Running time
 81 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $4.9 million[2]
Box office $148.8 million[3]

Lights Out is a 2016 American supernatural horror film directed by David F. Sandberg in his major directorial debut, produced by Lawrence Grey, James Wan and Eric Heisserer and written by Heisserer. It stars Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Billy Burke and Maria Bello. It is based on Sandberg's 2013 short film of the same name and features Lotta Losten, who starred in the short.[4]

The film had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 8, 2016, and was released in the United States and Canada on July 22, 2016 by Warner Bros. The film was a success, grossing over $148 million and receiving generally positive reviews. A sequel is currently in development.

Plot

In a textile warehouse, worker Esther sees a silhouette of a figure when she turns the lights off, but sees nothing with the lights on. She warns owner Paul about the apparition, whom he ignores, and leaves. Paul is then chased and gruesomely killed by the figure.

Paul's stepdaughter, Rebecca, lives away from her mother Sophie and brother Martin. Sophie has a documented mental illness and depression that has resurfaced, talking to an imaginary friend. One night, Martin sees Sophie talking to a figure and is horrified, gaining insomnia. Rebecca takes Martin to her apartment to protect him, against their mother's wishes. That night, she awakens to find the figure, barely avoiding it's attack just as the building's neon sign turns on. The next morning, Rebecca finds "Diana" scrawled on the floor. She recalls Diana from her own childhood, the reason she left when her father seemingly abandoned them.

That night, Sophie has a movie night with Martin, but includes the figure, frightening him. She tells him a story about the figure, Diana, her friend when she was in an institution, who had an unusual condition that made her skin photosensitive. Martin sees Diana crouched above and turns on the light, escaping to Rebecca's before Diana can attack him.

Rebecca confronts Sophie about Diana but she denies the accusation. Later, she breaks in and sees files about Sophie and Diana, and that she was killed when exposed to a bright light for an experiment. Rebecca, her boyfriend Bret and Martin decide to stay overnight to protect her. Rebecca goes to her bedroom to reconcile; however, Sophie secretly passes her a note saying "I need help" before Diana tugs her back in. Rebecca realizes that she is being controlled and turns on all the lights in the house to keep her away.

Knowing their intentions, Diana baits Rebecca and Martin into the basement by shorting out the power. Bret is attacked but escapes and contacts the police. Rebecca realizes that using blacklight can allow them to see Diana and discovers scrawled writings along the wall, explaining how Diana won't let anyone "take" Sophie and that she killed Rebecca's father.

A pair of police officers arrive and free Rebecca and Martin but are killed by Diana. Rebecca sends Martin to Bret and goes back to rescue Sophie. Diana then attacks Rebecca violently, but Sophie confronts her with a gun, realizing she's Diana's tether to the world. She then commits suicide and Diana disappears. Distraught, Rebecca, Martin and Bret reconcile and vow to stay together outside.

Cast

Production

Sandberg, along with his wife Lotta Losten, created the initial short film for a film competition. Although the film did not win said competition, the short soon went viral, leading to Sandberg to be contacted by several agents, to the point where he had to develop a spreadsheet to keep track of them all.[5] One of the contacts was Lawrence Grey who wanted to collaborate with James Wan in order to produce a feature-length version. Although Wan enjoyed the short, he was hesitant that it could be turned into a feature until Sandberg produced a treatment for the feature-length version.[5]

The move to Hollywood was somewhat hectic for the couple, requiring that Losten quit her day job in order to do so. Once in Hollywood the two were unable to get an apartment due to a lack of credit, forcing them to rent Airbnb on a monthly basis.[5]

The casting of Gabriel Bateman and Teresa Palmer was announced in June 2015; which was the same month that principal photography had began.[6][7] [8][9] Sandberg had not worked with a film crew or visited a film set before directing Lights Out; he had to ask the first assistant director, "So when do I say action?"[10] Filming wrapped on 5 August 2015.[11][12]

Release

The had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 8, 2016.[13] The film also screened at Comic-Con on July 20, 2016,[14] and was released on July 22, 2016.[15]

Box office

Lights Out has grossed a total of $67.3 million in North America and $81.5 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $148.8 million, against a production budget of $4.9 million.[3]

In North America, Lights Out was projected to gross $13–15 million from 2,900 theaters in its opening weekend.[16] It made $1.8 million from its Thursday night screenings and $9.2 million on its first day.[17] The film exceeded expectations and earned $21.7 million in its opening weekend, finishing at third place behind fellow newcomer Star Trek Beyond and holdover The Secret Life of Pets.[18][19]

In other territories, the film earned $8.5 million in its opening weekend from 3,737 screens in key markets of Russia and Australia along with 30 smaller Eastern European and Asian markets. The film benefited from being released in the wake of the global success of The Conjuring 2.[20] It debuted at first place in Russia with $1.7 million.[20] Its other top openings were recorded in South Korea ($3.9 million), France ($1.5 million), the U.K. ($1.4 million) and Spain ($1.1 million).[21][22] Its biggest earning markets are South Korea ($7.7 million), Mexico ($5.5 million), the U.K. ($4.5 million) and Spain ($3.9 million).[23]

Critical response

Lights Out received generally positive reviews from critics.[24][3][25] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 77%, based on 145 reviews, with a weighted average score of 6.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Lights Out makes skillful use of sturdy genre tropes — and some terrific performances — for an unsettling, fright-filled experience that delivers superior chills without skimping on story."[24] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 58 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[26] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[27]

Lucy O'Brien of IGN gave the film 7/10, saying: "[w]ith an unnerving monster at its core, great cast and relentless final sequence, Light’s [sic] Out is a debut director Sandberg should be proud of. A clunky script occasionally loosens its grip on the nerves, but chances are Diana will still have you sleeping with the lights on for a good while after leaving the theatre."[28] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film 4 stars out of 4, stating: "[e]ven the most cynical, jaded, seen-it-all-before critic cannot deny certain visceral reactions to a film. Lights Out gave me the chills."[29] Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "[a] surprisingly maternal horror movie that relies as much on fraying emotional bonds as supernatural suspense to create tension, Lights Out deals with an array of primal fears that threaten to unravel a family’s fundamental relationships, along with their sanity."[30] Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times wrote, "[s]packling over any copycat cracks with strong acting and fleet editing, Lights Out delivers minimalist frights in old-school ways."[31]

A few critics were less taken with the film. James Berardinelli of Reelviews gave 2 stars out of 4, saying: "[u]nfortunately, the film stumbles, offering too few legitimate scares and displaying an overreliance on traditional horror movie clichés." Berardinelli detested the film's camerawork, characters as being "thinly drawn", and the screenplay "spending inordinate amount of time providing a backstory..."[32] Rex Reed of The Observer gave 1 star out of 4, saying: "the film's screenplay focuses almost entirely on the number of resourceful and ingenious ways the characters dream up to keep the lights on, stave off the next attack and stay alive—lights from candles, flashlights, cellphones, the car in the driveway—before the batteries die; The fun wears out fast and so does the “gotcha” factor."[33]

Sequel

In July 2016, it was announced that New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures had greenlit a sequel for the film. Eric Heisserer and David F. Sandberg will return to write and direct the film, respectively, while James Wan and Lawrence Grey will return to produce under their Atomic Monster and Grey Matter Productions banners.[34][35]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "LIGHTS OUT (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  2. ↑ Murray, Rebecca (18 April 2016). "'Lights Out': Lawrence Grey Interview on the Horror Film". ShowBiz Junkies. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "Lights Out (2016)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  4. ↑ Woener (26 March 2016). "Meredith". Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Wixson, Heather. "LIGHTS OUT Interview: Director David F. Sandberg & Lotta Losten on Journeying from Sweden to Hollywood & the Advantages of Technology for Emerging Filmmakers". Daily Dead. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  6. ↑ McNary, Dave (17 June 2015). "Gabriel Bateman to Star in James Wan's 'Lights Out'". variety.com. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  7. ↑ Busch, Anita (27 June 2015). "Teresa Palmer To Star In James Wan's 'Lights Out' For Atomic Monster, New Line". deadline.com. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "On the Set for 6/29/15: Justin Lin Rolls Cameras on 'Star Trek Beyond', Emilia Clarke Wraps 'Me Before You'". ssninsider.com. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  9. ↑ "Teresa Palmer Joins LIGHTS OUT with James Wan". hellhorror.com. 29 June 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  10. ↑ Sandberg, David F. (2016-08-09). "dauid comments on What Makes a Movie Scary?- Now You See It". Reddit. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  11. ↑ "James Wan on Instagram". Instagram. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  12. ↑ "James Wan on Instagram". Instagram. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  13. ↑ "Idris Elba's 'Hundred Streets,' 'Lights Out' to Debut at LA Film Festival". 22 April 2016.
  14. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (19 July 2016). "Warner Bros./New Line Turning On 'Lights Out' With Comic-Con Screening". Deadline.com. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  15. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (21 December 2015). "Guy Ritchie's King Arthur Film Gallops To 2017; 'Lights Out' Set For Summer". Deadline.com. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  16. ↑ "'Star Trek Beyond' To Blast Off Fueled By Comic-Con World Premiere – Box Office Preview". Deadline.com. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  17. ↑ Rebecca Ford (22 July 2016). "Box Office: 'Star Trek Beyond' Blasts Off to $5.5 Million Thursday". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  18. ↑ Scott Mendelson (24 June 2016). "Weekend Box Office: 'Ice Age' Melts (In America) While 'Lights Out' Shines Bright". Forbes. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  19. ↑ Anita Busch and Anthony D'Alessandro (25 July 2016). "'Star Trek Beyond' Launches To $59M; 'Lights Out' Electrifies; 'Ice Age' Tepid; 'Ghostbusters' No Cinderella Story – Box Office Final". Deadline.com. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  20. 1 2 Anita Busch (25 July 2016). "'Star Trek Beyond' $30M Debut; 'Lights Out' $8.5M; Jackie Chan's 'Skiptrace' Nails $64M Bow – Int'l Box Office Final". Deadline.com. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  21. ↑ Nancy Tartaglione (August 21, 2016). "'Pets' Pushes 'Suicide Squad' From #1 Offshore Perch, Collars $675M WW; Supervillains Gain On $600M – Intl B.O.". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  22. ↑ Nancy Tartaglione (August 28, 2016). "'Bourne' Back At #1; 'Ice Age' Skates Across $300M Offshore; 'Pets' Prances Past $700M WW – Intl Box Office". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  23. ↑ Anita Busch (September 11, 2016). "Warner Bros.' Weekend Trifecta With 'Mil-Jeong,' 'Sully' And 'Suicide Squad' – Int'l Box Office". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  24. 1 2 "Lights Out (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  25. ↑ Anthony D'Alessandro (21 December 2015). "Guy Ritchie's King Arthur Film Gallops To 2017, 'Lights Out' On July 22, 2016: WB Release Date Changes". Deadline.com. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  26. ↑ "Lights Out Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  27. ↑ "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com.
  28. ↑ O'Brien, Lucy (1 July 2016). "Fear the dark.". IGN. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  29. ↑ Roeper, Richard (21 July 2016). "'Lights Out': In the dark, this supremely scary movie glows". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  30. ↑ Lowe, Justin (9 July 2016). "Accomplished, but not especially distinctive.". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  31. ↑ Catsoulis, Jeannette (21 July 2016). "Review: In 'Lights Out' an Invisible Friend Turns Malicious". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  32. ↑ Berardinelli, James (21 July 2016). "Lights Out (United States, 2016)". Reelviews. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  33. ↑ Reed, Rex (20 July 2016). "'Lights Out' Is a Sad Excuse for a Horror Flick". The Observer. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  34. ↑ Fleming Jr, Mike (27 July 2016). "New Line Sets Sequel To Fright Sensation 'Lights Out'". Deadline.com. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  35. ↑ McNary, Dave (27 July 2016). "Sequel to Horror Film 'Lights Out' in the Works at New Line". Variety. Retrieved 28 July 2016.

External links

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