Maeve Dermody was good in this. The cinematography was pretty good. You know a movie doesn't have much going for it when a reviewer compliments the photography. There is nothing new here. Its the usual run of the mill paint by numbers affair using the run of the mill paint by numbers stock standard horror/thriller tool of "it was all just a dream" thing. Boring.The lead was good. I see good things in her future. Granted its a tough role and not easy to carry an entire film by yourself, but she didn't really have much to work with here. I sort of feel sorry for her. Hopefully better screenplays will come her way soon.

Maeve Dermody as Dr. Sarah Faithful – a psychologist with plenty of issue as her own baggage. She's brought in to investigate a case of one Skye Williams (Penelope Mitchell) after Skye is suspected in the murder of her (boy)friend. Skye insists that it was some sort of evil… some kind of "darkness" which was the cause of her boyfriend's death. Through the investigation of Skye, Sarah must come face to face with her own demons and stand up to the "darkness" which soon begins to equally harrow her. There is the introduction of a powerful hallucinogen (DMT – Dimethyltryptamine) which could be to blame for Skye's possible departures from reality. Honestly I was not sure of what was happening in the movie all along. Is the Ghost there or not?Who killed whom? There are a lot of unsolved mysteries that leaves the audience puzzling. As some one said, The Fear of Darkness is nothing that will blow your mind or change your life, but is can boast a beautifully shot picture with stunning compositions, strong performances and plenty of tension,making it well worth your time. The background scores are worth the 2 hours spent on the movie.

I know other reviews might have questioned the merit and pace of this film - but I liked it. It kept me interested and it becomes stranger as it nears the end. Some people might question this films intention and believe it's useless or superfluous film. But it is a thinking person film with loose ends. I'll have a go with what i think happens at the end and others can consider their own conclusion. Sky is told that Sarah is not real and she has been in treatment for 10 years for a drug psychosis.The treating Dr says "she's nearly there" and they drug her to rid Sarah from her mind. Unfortunately Sarah is the only protective factor in sky's mind - Sarah knows the darkness wants Sky and has always frantically protected her. So the treatment appears to work and Sarah is dispelled. All is good until Sky looks in the mirror and then appears consumed by the darkness - to me it appears she was possessed by it as she leaves the hospital. She heads back out to the house where it all began and where the darkness resides. On the way someone or something stops to help her in the truck and we are lead to believe the darkness is within her or within the truck. She leaves the truck and goes toward the house and further into darkness OR there is another way of viewing the ending - that she never left the hospital but just moved deeply into psychosis (the darkness) after having her protective factor removed and we see sky's "dark" thinking just like we have seen her reality and world right through the whole film. Anyway - it made me think and I liked this film. i particularly liked that Aussie scenery and the birds on the water and mood of the film.

This is one of those films that has enough going for it (good cinematography, decent acting) to keep you watching. I generally enjoy the output of films from Australia and for the first hour this in no exception with a few genuinely creepy moments. However, whatever enjoyment is had is quickly shot down in the last quarter of the film with an ending that leaves you scratching your head and wondering why you bothered in the first place. The "supernatural" presence in the film could have been a whole lot more terrifying but in the end....confusion reigns! I am not sure enough viewers will figure out the ending within the natural run time of the film so it's hard to recommend.