Anyone who has sailed through the dark of the more remote parts of the Caledonian Canal will be familiar with the beautiful but creepy atmosphere THE DARK MILE tries to capture. Inspired by the likes of DELIVERANCE and THE WICKER MAN, it almost succeeds in paying homage to the two classics; but its thin narrative and character elements form a weak foundation for such powerful themes.
On holiday some time after a traumatic miscarriage, couple Claire (Deirdre Mullins) and Louise (Rebecca Calder) rent a boat before setting sail in Scotland. Louise is clearly still emotionally remote after the miscarriage, whereas Claire constantly frets over WiFi when picking the boat up from Paul Brannigan‘s exuberant local. Clearly at odds with the sinister villagers, who seem to baulk at their sexuality and bolshy liberalism, the pair are stalked by an ominous black barge as they navigate both the choppy waters and equally turbulent encounters with suspicious pagans.
Although doing an admirable job in creating atmosphere, THE DARK MILE doesn’t have enough real coherence to draw you in to the central story or engage with its psychological elements. In particular, the depiction of the locals borders on the ridiculous. Although the filmmakers claim affection (“Everyone should be filming here”, states director Gary Love) the portrayal is (one would hope) mostly absurd to anyone north of the Watford Gap.
Although doing an admirable job in creating atmosphere, THE DARK MILE doesn’t have enough real coherence to draw you in…
THE DARK MILE wears its backwoods horror influences on its sleeve, but the Highland setting and bleak imagery (and even the brief presence of Brannigan) bring a more contemporary touchstone to mind: the final act of UNDER THE SKIN. The brooding atmosphere and the bleak, consuming landscape it shares with Glazer’s sci-fi nightmare are not elements that benefit THE DARK MILE, however, and screenwriter Gaby Hull seems unsure of how best to deliver a payoff to the powerful crescendo which has been so carefully crafted. Love’s camera is alternately voyeuristic and deflected when needed, and the score builds on this technique superbly. However, it peters out to a limp conclusion with no punch. A lack of narrative closure needn’t be a problem had there been thematic closure, but the lingering trauma of Louise is just there – nothing is done with it.
THE DARK MILE has much to admire in its building atmosphere and maximising the visual appeal of the location. However, the lack of any real substance means that the story is destined to fall flat when it most needs and deserves a catharsis.