Central Park Dark

But, Central Park Dark works more often than not. As mentioned, never being positive of what Anna is seeking adds a layer of mystery that ramps up the potential stakes (until it does not; see above). Plus, the mixing of the traditional sexual, obsession-based thriller with the dark arts is original and a great way of avoiding tropes, as well as explaining away some of the cliched moments that are present.

Also in the movie’s favor is that Cybil Lake plays the insane Anna to a genuinely terrifying degree. She’s alluring enough so that Thomas being unfaithful, though wrong, is believable. Lake also seamlessly transitions from a more serene or playful mood to a more frightful one, occasionally multiple times in a scene.

“…ably places the viewer in the shoes of Thomas with frantic, though never confusing, transitions…”

Playing Thomas, Tom Sizemore is mostly good. Him drunk acting amounts to little more than a bit of shaking and talking slower, not even slurred. As such, references to him being hammered don’t ring true. Aside from that, Sizemore proves more than capable. His slow mental degradation, possibly due to grief, is believable, as is his more protective side, as he seeks to protect his wife and kids from the specter (or is she?) that is haunting him.

Finally, the editing throughout Central Park Dark is uniformly excellent. Editor Seth Jacobson understands that the eeriness of this tale stems from the supernatural elements. As such, he ably places the viewer in the shoes of Thomas with frantic, though never confusing, transitions that, at times, feel not of this world. The editing is the perfect complement to Sebastian Buczyk and David Quateman’s cinematography, which has a hazy, dream-like quality.

Central Park Dark is a bit too ambiguous to feel entirely satisfying but is also mysterious enough to intrigue audience members thoroughly. The acting is pretty good, especially from writer-director-star Cybil Lake and co-lead Tom Sizemore, and the editing is magnificent. Overall, while imperfect, it is a rock-solid debut feature.