Film Report: Dark Vision (2015)

Dark Vision (2015)
Country: UK
Director: Darren Flaxstone / Writers: Darren Flaxstone, Bernie Hodges
Stars: Bernie Hodges, Suzie Latham, Judith Haley, Alicia Ancel, Oliver Park, Simon Pearce

Charismatic TV medium and hypnotist Spencer Knights (Bernie Hodges) presents an internet- steamed paranormal reality show called Mind-Full which visits Britain's spookiest locations and uncovers their dark secrets with the help of an intrepid celebrity guest seeking to overcome deep-rooted fears by means of Spencer's mind control techniques.  In the latest instalment, Spencer and his guest, along with a small crew, are staying overnight in the catacombs beneath the notoriously haunted Baylock's Folly where children were kept safe from the Black Death in the 15th century only to suffer at the hands of a Satanist madman instead.  Multiple hidden cameras cover every move as they explore the vast network of tunnels beneath the towering edifice.  Spencer spins an atmospheric tale for his viewers ramping up the intrigue, scares and drama - but something unexpected is going on, terrifying things that weren't scripted are occurring and it appears the team have disturbed a stalking evil spirit from which some of them may well not escape alive ...

Dark Vision is an effective and atmospheric British horror tale that does something refreshingly different with its premise.  There is also an encompassing story (which does seem a bit redundant) in which Spencer Knights and his crew are meant to be in a competition in which several rival paranormal shows are vying to get the most ratings and this is what drives Knights to do a reckless thing which awakens the evil spirit.  But we never see anything of these rival shows and are only updated on the "leaderboard" via occasional progress update captions and a few mentions in the dialogue.  The main story is good enough to have worked just as well without the need for what seems to be a largely immaterial plot intricacy.

The nudity comes from British actress Alicia Ancel who plays the celebrity guest Marva Clewes, a former hot soap actress with a pathological fear of the dark.

She has a lovemaking scene with the broadcast engineer in his technical van in which she is seen topless a couple of times.

Alicia Ancel in Dark Vision