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The Dark (2005) Directed by John Fawcett Screenplay by Stephen Massicotte Based on the novel Sheep by Simon Maginn Adelle is taking her teenaged daughter, Sarah, on a trip to Wales, so Sarah can visit her father. The film begins with mother and daughter travelling in a car and it is obvious that, not only are they hopelessly lost, but that their relationship isn't all that it could be.  When night draws in, bringing a storm with it, Adelle and Sarah end up having to spend the night in the car, parked not far from a steep cliff with a deadly drop to the sea below. Near the edge of the cliff is a strange memorial with the name Annwyn marked on it. Later in the film we learn from local odd-job-man Dafydd that, according to Welsh legend, Annwyn is the place people go after death. The legend also states that the dead can return from Annwyn if one of the living exchanges places with them.   Sarah's father, James lives in a very remote house and his only company, before his family's arrival, seems to have been Daffydd, who appears to be kept very busy around the place.   I suppose the real story doesn't start until Sarah is swept out to sea and drowned. It is not long after this that Ebrill makes her appearance. A Distraught Adelle sees her outside the window and, thinking it is Sarah, chases her into the abattoir (every house should have one). When Adelle calls out her daughter's name, Ebrill asks, "Is that who you are looking for? You won't find her here. This is where the sheep come to die." Not long after this interesting snippet of conversation Ebrill vanishes, things start to get a little more mysterious, and Adelle has to find a way of getting her daughter back, even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.    If I had to categorise The Dark I'd call it a supernatural thriller. It doesn't have a large cast but it is an effective one and plenty of sheep come flocking in, for the part of extras, under the careful supervision of Elvis the sheepdog.   There are some chilling moments in the film, and there are some gruesome moments. Nothing too over-the-top as far as I am concerned, but some viewers might not see it the same way. Probably the goriest part of the story is where the mad shepherd bores a hole into someone's skull with a twist drill. There are no close-up shots of this, just a little blood and pieces of bone falling onto the floor. Not nice, I suppose, but it does have its place in the story.   The copy of The Dark that I watched, here in the UK, was certificate 15 and the box warned that the film contains strong horror and language. It was widescreen and had Dolby 5:1 surround sound. Special features included a trailer and interviews with the cast and crew. There was also an alternative ending. I watched the alternative, and actually preferred it. In all honesty, though, neither ending really worked for me, they just didn't leave me with any feeling of closure. Having said that, I still enjoyed the film, and it is definitely worth watching.   CAST    Sean Bean ....           James  Maria Bello ....         Adele  Richard Elfyn ....      Rowan  Maurice Roeves .... Dafydd  Abigail Stone ....       Ebrill  Sophie Stuckey ....    Sarah HOME