Super Dark Times
Orchard, The | Release Date: September 29, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
17
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Village VoiceChuck WilsonOct 4, 2017
Both a thriller and meditation on the loss of innocence, Super Dark Times is rich with the minutiae of a bygone era...but Phillips and screenwriters Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski press hard against the instinct for nostalgia. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesNoel MurraySep 28, 2017
What makes Super Dark Times one of the most exciting American filmmaking debuts in recent years is how well Phillips and company grasp both the intensity and ephemerality of adolescence. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleySep 29, 2017
Super Dark Times has a deeply unnerving mood, more unnerving than "what happens." Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatySep 28, 2017
Super Dark Times perfectly nails the minute details of adolescence—a minefield of confusion about right and wrong that leads to all kinds of impulsive bad decisions. Read full review
83
The Film StageJohn FinkMay 1, 2017
Virtually free from quirk and black humor, the film is an effective, nasty thriller and a rare horror film that provides an emotional investment because the portrait of teenhood is utterly authentic. Read full review
80
UproxxKeith PhippsDec 4, 2017
It’s a film that remembers how awful it can be to grow up, and that even those who survive it usually don’t get out without taking a few scars. Read full review
80
The New York TimesTeo BugbeeSep 28, 2017
The performances from the film’s young cast members are uniformly excellent, including Owen Campbell as Zach and Charlie Tahan as Josh. But the direction from Mr. Phillips is what makes Super Dark Times unusual. Read full review
80
We Got This CoveredMatt DonatoMay 4, 2017
Debuts shouldn’t be this tense or composed, yet Super Dark Times is an instantaneous must-see. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterNeil YoungFeb 2, 2017
Strikingly shot, edited and scored, with convincing and vivid performances from a youthful cast, the picture loses its footing in the final stretch but should still take high rank among U.S. debuts of its ilk this year Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 22, 2018
The grey gathering gloom that hangs over Super Dark Times seeps into your bones. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Emily YoshidaOct 2, 2017
Phillips kind of stumbles when he tries for a pat wrap-up of a still-horrific problem. But when he digs into the muck of the rot at the heart of it, he comes up with some unforgettable moments. Read full review
70
Screen DailyFionnuala HalliganMar 16, 2017
Phillips’ collaborators work in harmony with the natural, nuanced acting; credits across the board are stylish and smooth, with lensing a standout. Also of particular note is the design; a rich, forest-driven colour saturation which suits the hooded houses and shadowy driveways of these traumatised teens. Read full review
70
VarietyJay WeissbergFeb 2, 2017
It’s hard not to appreciate the astute ways the script captures the moment when carefree childhood turns into the loss of innocence. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubA.A. Dowd Sep 27, 2017
Did the super dark times need to arrive at all? If the scenes of shit-kicking naturalism feel authentic, the thriller that replaces them — a kind of junior "A Simple Plan" — relies too heavily on unconvincing psychology. Read full review
67
IndieWireDavid EhrlichApr 20, 2017
Shot with the stoic confidence of a capable young director flexing his muscles, Super Dark Times is visceral and gripping throughout, its probing compositions forcing you to peer deeper and deeper into the darkness. Read full review
67
The PlaylistJessica KiangFeb 8, 2017
For all its flaws, or rather for all the magnitude of its one massive flaw, it is more sincere than arch, and more earnest, certainly in its desire to get its makers onto the radar, than glib. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineHenry StewartSep 24, 2017
The transformation of a teen into a serial killer isn't credible compared to the portrait of idle suburban adolescence. Read full review
59
Paste MagazineJacob OllerAug 4, 2017
Phillips simply tries to do too much. Read full review
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