The Dark Room is a supernatural thriller about a group of twenty-somethings that go to a “Psychic Party” with varying intentions. Some want to get drunk, others are seeking financial gain, and the protagonist is driven by her own budding psychic tendencies. When the gang meets the host (a meek psychic with concealed motives) things get paranormal.

The problem with this film is the characters, who are versions of sexy, horror movie teenagers, only older. This is not inherently an issue. In Cabin in the Woods or even Midsommar, versions of these stock characters are employed with coy, self-awareness. But the writing in The Dark Room isn’t as nuanced.

There’s a party-boy (who is a racist, homophobic, hick, southerner,) that has psychic abilities, which is novel for a hick-type character. But his behavior is still down-the-line, cliché southerner. His girlfriend is a bimbo. The studly black guy only wants success in the stock market, and his Asian girlfriend exists to argue with the racist hick. Most of them aren’t total clichés but they are always one-note.

The protagonist is more developed. She speaks English for the most part but talks on the phone to a family member in Spanish. This conversation is casually believable and makes the character a bit more compelling.

The cinematography is professional and consistent and it’s aided by some strong special effects work. There’s a sequence where a character is lifted out of his chair by an unknown spirit and the result is convincing and tense.

The movie is most successful once it gets out of the confines of the house and away from the majority of the characters. Here, The Dark Room gets to establish some successfully nightmarish imagery and boast a bit of impressive creature design work. With the aid of some conventional but well-done lighting tricks, director, Adrienne Lovette is able to create some suspense, and work with the film’s most memorable image – a little girl with a two-faced demon wrapping his hands around her mouth. Images like this are done well, but they are eclipsed by frustratingly basic characterization.

6 out of 10