Don’t Turn Out the Lights: A Descent into Chaos and Darkness
Don’t Turn Out the Lights is a horror film that takes the classic road trip premise and drags it deep into the woods, where reason fades and fear takes control. Directed by Andy Fickman, the film follows a group of friends heading to a music festival. Their RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere, forcing them to take shelter in a secluded forest. But what begins as a minor inconvenience quickly turns into a nightmare none of them could have imagined.
The group consists of typical personalities—the joker the skeptic the leader the lovebirds—but as darkness falls, each character begins to unravel. The forest is not empty. Whispers echo in the trees. Shadows move when no one is looking. And the deeper they go, the less they understand about what is hunting them.
Fickman blends humor with horror, though not always seamlessly. The film attempts to balance moments of lightness with creeping dread, but the tone sometimes shifts too quickly to fully land its emotional beats. What the film lacks in originality it makes up for with atmosphere. Cinematography leans into harsh contrasts and deep shadows, building a sense of claustrophobia even in wide open spaces.
While the plot may not break new ground, the film’s tension builds steadily, especially in the second half. The threat remains vague for most of the story, which adds to the suspense, but may frustrate viewers seeking a clear explanation.
Don’t Turn Out the Lights is a flawed but watchable horror experience. It reminds us that the real danger often lies not in what we see, but in what lurks just beyond our sight—waiting in the dark.
