Red-Barracuda
A young lesbian couple embark on a boat trip in the lochs of Scotland. Before long they sense that hostile locals may be out to antagonise them.The Dark Mile combines a domestic drama thread about a couple going through some difficulties, in particular a recent failed pregnancy, with the horror/thriller idea of urban people out of their comfort zone in a place populated by sinister locals. The biggest issue it has is that is doesn't make enough of the latter story element, with the horror side just too underplayed. The idea of strange cults and mysterious inhabitants in rural areas is not a new idea but it's one with plenty of scope for thrills and chills. In this case there are a few recurring ominous characters in the periphery of the story but they don't in all honesty add up to very much and never seem to pose as much of a threat as they should, while the idea of the sinister black boat in pursuit of the girls was one with a lot of potential, the film-makers never really ran with it very far. On the other hand, the idea of having a lesbian couple the centre of the story was a good one, and something that is still sadly quite unusual. As I said, their personal drama compromised too much of the run-time at the expense of the suspense but the combining of one of the girl's pregnancy traumas with various interconnected fertility images showed some ambition at least. The setting is often quite beautifully photographed and there is some atmosphere at times but on the whole this one doesn't make the most of its set up.
