The Dark Half (1991)

Featured Audience Ratings

• AJ V

  
  I loved this horror movie based on a King novel, the story is sort of like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or one of those classics, but in a modern setting. Like many of King's stories, it's about a writer too. I loved it.

• Conner R

  
  I really loved this, it was a great mystery. It's a really good Stephen King adaption that gets down the creep factor of the novel. While it doesn't have the best cast, it does have a great overall plot and characters. George A. Romero's style is not as present as… More
  I really loved this, it was a great mystery. It's a really good Stephen King adaption that gets down the creep factor of the novel. While it doesn't have the best cast, it does have a great overall plot and characters. George A. Romero's style is not as present as usual, which I think is a real testament to his talent. It is more Stephen King's style and way of storytelling, which is really respectful. Sometimes being true to the story is more beneficial for the overall movie, rather than getting that directorial stamp in.

• ♥Robyn

  
  a dark thriller with very strong performances!!!

• Dean M

  
  Great, very scary and unique!! One of the finest Stephen King adaptations. It's also one of George Romero's most under-appreciated works. The two of them have collaborated on many occasions to produce nothing but good things, but this takes it to a new level. Romero is known… More
  Great, very scary and unique!! One of the finest Stephen King adaptations. It's also one of George Romero's most under-appreciated works. The two of them have collaborated on many occasions to produce nothing but good things, but this takes it to a new level. Romero is known for casting unknowns for his leads. This time he went against the grain. He used the amazing Timothy Hutton. Hutton, in a dual role, plays both mild-mannered Thad Beaumont and mean bastard George Stark. But when he's Stark, he really comes to life. He's both cool and creepy. The sparrows are also a crucial part of the overall eeriness of the movie.

• Cassandra M

  
  The Dark Half starts in '1968' where a young boy named Thadeus Beaumont (Patrick Brannan) has recently begun writing novels but is also suffering from some strange side-effects, he collapses outside his home & is taken to Hospital where Doctors discover that he has a… More
  The Dark Half starts in '1968' where a young boy named Thadeus Beaumont (Patrick Brannan) has recently begun writing novels but is also suffering from some strange side-effects, he collapses outside his home & is taken to Hospital where Doctors discover that he has a deformed embryo growing inside of him... Jump '23 Years Later' & things are going great for Thadeus (Timothy Hutton), he has a wife Elizabeth (Amy Madigan) & two young babies plus a prestigious teaching job at a university. However, one day a man named Fred Clawson (Robert Joy) attempts to blackmail Thadeus when he discovers that Thadeus writes trashy novels under the pen-name George Stark. Instead of giving into Freds demands Thadeus decides to kill off George by going public, but not everyone his happy about the untimely demise of George Stark least of all George himself who will go to murderous lengths to make sure he stays alive, even if it means other's don't... Executive produced, written & directed by George A. Romero I can't say that The Dark Half is a bad film because it clearly isn't but at the same time I can't but say I was disappointed. The script by Romero was based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King & is a fairly absorbing & engaging tale but didn't totally satisfy. For a start things are never explained, what is George Stark? How was he created? There are some vague suggestions such as the opening scenes of the brain tumour which is never mentioned or touched upon again throughout the remainder of the film to more supernatural reasoning such as Thad's alter-ego & literal dark half coming to life. Some may like this vagueness but personally I didn't think it did the film any favours & what's with the Sparrows? The character's are decent & it's well written for what it is but when I consider that Romero wrote the mighty Dead films which all included fantastic subtle social commentary superbly mixed together with wonderful horror & gore I couldn't help but feel something was missing in The Dark Half by comparison. The Dark Half was made in 1991 but sat on the shelf for a couple of years because of the collapse of Orion Pictures & when it did finally see the inside of theatres it did nothing at the box-office. Somewhat surprisingly The Dark Half was one of only two film Romero directed in the 90's with the other being Two Evil eyes (1990) & he only directed half of that, it wasn't for another 9 years before he made another film with Bruiser (2000) which seemed a long time... He does an OK job here but the film drags in places & there isn't a great deal of style or gore, there's an exposed brain, a few splashes of blood & a fairly gory scene at the end in which someone has the flesh picked off their bones by Sparrows. I was absolutely astonished to discover that The Dark Half had a supposed budget of $15,000,000, where on earth did the money go? There are no big name actors, no big action scenes, no explosions, no car chases, no big special effect scenes apart from some computer generated Sparrows, no exotic locations & nothing that would suggest that 15 big ones had been spent on it. Was this film part of the reason why Orion went bankrupt? Was this the reason why Romero didn't work again in the horror genre for 9 long years? Romero's latest film Land of the Dead (2005) only had a budget of $15,000,000 & The Dark Half was made 15 years prior, this is not a 15 million film that's for sure. The acting was OK but no one stands out, it's all rather bland & forgettable. $15,000,000? I just can't believe it, maybe I'm wrong, maybe all the money ended up on screen but I simply didn't see it. We give films a certain amount of slack for being low budget so there's no reason we can't criticise a big budget film when it fails to deliver. The Dark Half is a decent horror film of that there is no doubt but with $15,000,000 in his back pocket & a string of absolute horror classics behind him I can't help but feel disappointed by The Dark Half, a real wasted opportunity. Worth a watch but nothing spectacular.

• Tim S

  
  A very decent King adaptation, Romero does some interesting work here.

• Lady D

  
  A very typical Stephen King storyline, in that it was original and totally bizarre. A watchable film, but not one of his best.

• David L

  
  As a young boy (Patrick Brannan), Thad Beaumont is been hiring or smelling things are not supposed to be there. One day before he goes to school, Thad falls down and it seems like he had a panic attack. Doctors discover on the back on Thad's skull, he has a still living fetus in… More
  As a young boy (Patrick Brannan), Thad Beaumont is been hiring or smelling things are not supposed to be there. One day before he goes to school, Thad falls down and it seems like he had a panic attack. Doctors discover on the back on Thad's skull, he has a still living fetus in the back of his head. The fetus have a eye, nostril's and a small cavity. The Doctors have destroyed the living fetus. Years later... Thad (Oscar-Winner:Timothy Hutton) has become a writer but not as successful as he should have been. Thad has a wife (Amy Madigan) and two baby twins (Sarah & Elizabeth Parker). One day going to work, a sleazy con-man (Robert Joy) discovers his alter ego in writing trash novels by the name of George Stark. When the con-man wants money, Thad decides to kill off his alter ego. When Thad kills his alter ego, it was a success. But one dark night, his alter ego George Stark turns to life and killing the ones, who helped Thad to kill Stark. Stark is slowly stalking Thad and his family until Thad will write another novel for Stark to stay alive. Directed by George A. Romero (Bruiser, Land of the Dead, Two Evil Eyes) has made an effected supernatural thriller. This is one of Romero's best work as a filmmaker. Hutton is extraordinary good in his dual roles. Micheal Rooker as the dedicated cop-Alan Pangborn gives a solid performance. The film was filmed in 1991 and released in 1993, due of Orion Pictures is now a deceased distributor. This film is based on a novel by Stephen King. King did write in another name for several years as Richard Bachman. This is a very good film that is sadly underrated. Don't miss this one.

• Kylie B

  
  I can't believe George A. Romero directed this, save for the effects at the end.

• Antony S

  
  Romero's second adaptation of a Stephen King novel (Creepshow was the first), and soon to be followed with From A Buick 8, The Dark Half explores a theme very close to King's heart: the writing rocess and the effect it has on readers, and consequently oneself. Hutton plays… More
  Romero's second adaptation of a Stephen King novel (Creepshow was the first), and soon to be followed with From A Buick 8, The Dark Half explores a theme very close to King's heart: the writing rocess and the effect it has on readers, and consequently oneself. Hutton plays a writer normally proud of his integrity, writing novels that receive critical appeal but little revenue, so he ghost-writes some action trash in order to make a fast buck. This is, of course, a Faustian pact, as Hutton soon finds himself cornerned by a guy onto his case. When a series of murders occur, he seems a likely candidate. However, as with most King, the misdeeds are actually supernatural, carried out by an alter ego borne of said ghost-writing, and the assumed anger of the material. The theme is dealt with well to begin with, but hastily enters typical slasher territory, and even borrows a great deal from other, superior works, such as: Tenebrae: writer influences/creates straight razor-wielding nutjob; The Birds: avians as portents of doom, gathering gradually with Hutton's breakdown; Misery/The Shining: writer's work seals own fate; the work of David Lynch: killer is in fact a 50s bad-ass, his approach signified by inoffensive pop/rock & roll. Not perfect by any means, but entertaining if one is willing to suspend sufficient disbelief. Hutton's Stark make-up is sensational.

• Danny R

  
  A creepy well-made and acted supernatural thriller, based of a novel by Stephen King. About a successful writer superbly played by Timothy Hutton who decides to separate himself from his notorious nom de plume, when he is threatened with exposure, he announces the death of his alter… More
  A creepy well-made and acted supernatural thriller, based of a novel by Stephen King. About a successful writer superbly played by Timothy Hutton who decides to separate himself from his notorious nom de plume, when he is threatened with exposure, he announces the death of his alter ego, which causes his evil "Dark Half" to come to life, and go on a killing spree, making sure that all clues point to Hutton, making him the prime suspect. Fine direction by genre veteran George A. Romero, with some good suspense, and solid supporting performances from Amy Madigan, Michael Rooker, Julie Harris, Robert Joy and Chelsea Field. But the film belongs to Hutton in a very impressive dual turn as the passive writer and his murderous alter ego, who is almost unrecognizable with his cat-like walk, southern accent that is dead on, and slick back hair. A interesting and entertaining film. Highly Recommended.

• John M

  
  "The Dark Half" is a decent 90's horror flick that is interesting and well directed directed by George Romero BUT he wasted the oportunity to make it better;. iit is too long, sometimes boring and I stayed expecting more. There's a decent amount of gore, suspense… More
  "The Dark Half" is a decent 90's horror flick that is interesting and well directed directed by George Romero BUT he wasted the oportunity to make it better;. iit is too long, sometimes boring and I stayed expecting more. There's a decent amount of gore, suspense is well crafted, an effective score and regular acting. Nothing great.

• C.R. L

  
  I've seen some pretty awful horror movies in my time, sometimes they don't even scare me they just put me too sleep. But this one is one of the better horror films I've seen lately. The Dark Half stars Timothy Hutton as Thadeus Beaumont who under his pen name George… More
  I've seen some pretty awful horror movies in my time, sometimes they don't even scare me they just put me too sleep. But this one is one of the better horror films I've seen lately. The Dark Half stars Timothy Hutton as Thadeus Beaumont who under his pen name George Stark writes horrific murder mysteries novels that shoot him to the top of the bestseller's list and make him know far and wide as the master of horror.But when Thad wants to break away form his other half he stages a mock funeral of George Stark so he can go out on his own, but soon enough the people who helped put George in the grave are suddenly dying left and right and the police have Thad pinned as the prime suspect, as the bodies continue to rise the possibility of Thad committing the murders are becoming less and less likely. Now Thad has only one shot to clear his name but how can he do it when everybody believes he's the killer? The Dark Half is a menacing and increasingly creepy horror mystery that will have you guessing and wondering until the credits roll, it's an amazingly well made film that's basked in mind blowing special effects, dark tones and eerie music that make you jump at the slightest noise. It's a movies that you will want to watch over and over again.

• Anthony V

  
  A nice attempt.

• Chad R

  
  Piss poor adaptation of Stephen King

• paganchild1979 p

  
  Loved it!

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