Following the turmoil left behind after the fall of communism, a group of friends find themselves embroiled in betrayal, dark secrets, and an even darker, more menacing threat in Alex Visani’s Blades in the Darkness. Along with writers Alessandro Albertini and Lorenzo Lepoti, Visani sets his story in the Albanian capital of Tirana, a city still reeling from the repercussions of Communism’s collapse and littered with the remnants of war. Some of these vestiges include abandoned bunkers, left to be subjects of rot and decay, and thus create a grisly and unique setting for a horror tale. 

Friends Davide, (Endrit Ahmetaj) Giulia, (Ingrid Monacelli) Nua (Ilirda Bejleri) and Adrian (Ermir Jonka) have aspirations to transform one of those forgotten bunkers into a joint business venture by turning it into a restaurant. They’re enthusiastic, ambitious, young, and motivated – all the qualities you’d expect would catapult them to success. Their carefully plotted dreams are soon revealed to be plagued by a nefarious secret, as one of them isn’t exactly who they portray themselves to be, with a past that comes back to cause problems for them all. Owing a large sum of money to a group of criminals, this betrayer of the group is more than willing to sacrifice their pooled investments to get these gangsters off his back.

While that plot point on its own adds plenty of tension, there’s a much more sinister mystery lurking in the dank underground ruins that will torment all involved, leaving behind a blood-soaked trail in its wake. Alliances and friendships will be tested as the group fights for their lives against threats both human and otherworldly. On paper, the overall storyline of Blades in the Darkness runs the risk of having too much going on at once, especially when considering the under 90 minute runtime. Visani and company manage to craft something that bucks that notion, however, unspooling the events slowly at first to grab the audience’s attention, then quickening the pace at breakneck speed into outright chaos.

There’s adequate time given to form attachments to the characters in the beginning, which is helpful when the film switches to full-on horror by the midway point. The performances of the cast are authentic and believable, where at times it feels as though you’re looking at real events through a voyeuristic lens. Though this absolutely descends into a full scale slasher, the inevitable kill count scenes at least feel more purposeful than they do gratuitous. That’s not to say there isn’t gore, because there is – quite a bit of it – and those who may be tuning in expecting more of a crime thriller should know what they’re in for. There’s more than a few scenes that can lead to feelings of squeamishness, but for fans of monster/slasher movies, this will be right up their alley.

Although at times it can feel disorganized and unsure of exactly what kind of movie it wants to be, Blades in the Darkness serves up an eclectic dish of intrigue and scares that’s part social commentary and part monster flick

7 out of 10