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Archaeological horror film Out of Darkness (formerly The Origin) made its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest. Directed by Andrew Cumming with a screenplay by Ruth Greenberg, both making their feature-film debut, Out of Darkness takes place 45,000 years ago and follows a small tribe as they venture out into the unknown across a narrow sea. Hoping to find plentiful game and a place to call home, instead the group is met with a desolate landscape and dangerous creatures that threaten their survival.

Out of Darkness is a truly remarkable and ambitious feature-film debut for Cumming and Greenberg. Audiences will immediately notice the dialogue is not in English, or any known language for that matter. Instead, Cumming decided to have an entirely new language created solely for the film, combining elements of other languages that would have existed relatively close to the time and location the film takes place in. It’s a risky decision, as many horror fans tend to shy away from subtitled films, but it ultimately was a wise choice for Out of Darkness that makes both the characters and the plot feel real.

Dripping with suspense, Out of Darkness taps into the most basic human fear virtually every person to ever exist has had, fear of the unknown. The small group of six has taken a great risk by leaving their ancestral land. In a strange new land, they have no idea if they will find the more plentiful food they seek or a suitable shelter, and they certainly don’t know the danger that is awaiting them in the darkness. All of these fears only exacerbate the already strained social dynamics within the group. Out of Darkness also taps into how dangerous one person can become when survival is on the line. When faced with the unknown, the battle between life and death can turn even the best of humanity into monsters. The end of the film will likely polarize audiences, and the pacing might be a bit on the slow side for some viewers. No matter where you land with these issues, there’s no denying the journey is one of foreboding and terror.

What makes Out of Darkness a truly impressive film is the work done behind the scenes. Right away, audiences are sure to take notice of the absolutely breathtaking cinematography by Ben Fordesman (Saint Maude, The End of the F***king World). Every single frame is stunning, enhancing the beautiful Scottish filming locations, while also highlighting the more frightening moments. Out of Darkness features incredible sound design and practical effects, both adding to the prehistoric horrors as they unfold, as well as a haunting musical score by Adam Janota Bzowski (Saint Maude, Femme). To help transport the audience to this era, costume designer Michael O’Connor (Dredd, Jayne Eyre) created functional layers of animal hide to clothe the small band of nomads and protect them from the harsh elements.

All six actors who make up the band of travelers deliver compelling, grounded performances. Each of them also live up to the difficult task of learning and speaking a new language created specifically for Out of Darkness. Safia Oakley-Green (Sherwood, Extraordinary) stars as young Beyah. Beyah is often referred to as a “stray” by the others in the group and clearly only joined them shortly before they crossed the sea. This makes Beyah the target of much hostility, but it also means she is a true survivor because she hasn’t had to rely on others in the past. Oakley-Green gives an outstanding performance in this role, expertly conveying Beyah’s fear, as well as her unflinching will to survive. While Oakley-Green is the backbone of Out of Darkness, audiences will also see wonderful performances from Chuku Modu (The 100, Captain Marvel), Luna Mwezi (Needle Park Baby, Emma Lügt), Kit Young (Shadow and Bone, The School for Good and Evil), Iola Evans (The 100, Choose or Die), and Arno Luening (Bad Girls).

Out of Darkness is a stunning prehistoric journey into the unknown, highlighting primitive fears and a deadly struggle for survival. Both Cumming and Greenberg bring to life a compelling story that makes for an exceptional feature-film debut, sure to make audiences take notice of their future films. While some audiences will find the end of the film compelling and others will wish it had gone in a different direction, everyone will agree that Out of Darkness is a marvel of sight and sound transporting the audience back in time. If you see this film, be sure to seek it out on the big screen. Your eyes and ears will thank you.

OVERALL RATING: 8/10