Michael May’s Where Darkness Dwells is a 2026 horror film that poses a haunting question to viewers— what really happens to people who go missing? The film follows Trish (Tara Perry), a journalist looking for her big break, which she believes just might have come through the disappearance of Cassy (Katie Parker), a hiker and vlogger who suddenly vanished without a trace. As Trish begins to investigate her disappearance, she stumbles across an isolated medical facility, where she very quickly finds that things aren’t as they seem. As she tries to leave, she gets ensnared with an escapee from the institution and comes to the horrifying realization that her personal nightmares may in fact be very real.
The camera work in Where Darkness Dwells is superb; the scenes are well constructed, and trailing shots leave a sense of dread and unease that heightens the film’s tension. Tara Perry is well-cast as Trish, giving a stellar performance as a skeptical journalist while simultaneously conveying that there is something dark just beneath the surface, gnawing away at her. Michael May’s performance as Dr. Thomas wasn’t quite on par with that of his co-stars, but he still portrays the unnerving doctor well. The sound quality, save for a few scenes, was excellent, and the musical score is eerily haunting precisely when the film needs it to be.
“…a journalist looking for her big break, which she believes just might have come through the disappearance of…a hiker and vlogger who suddenly vanished without a trace.”
Where Darkness Dwells excels is in its creeping terror; many times, the camera lingers on one specific shot while keeping someone— or something— just out of sight, though you know it’s there. That fear is the beating heart of the film and propels it to terrifying new heights. While the latter half of the film feels a bit convoluted, it still offers plenty of satisfying scares that will get even die-hard horror fans.
Where Darkness Dwells hits all the markers of a horror story that’s been told many times before, yet it still manages to feel original. There’s nothing wrong with a tried-and-true method, and Michael May proves that just because something has been done before doesn’t mean there’s no new story left to be told.
"…May proves that just because something has been done before doesn’t mean there’s no new story left to be told."
