Down a Dark Hall (film)


Down a Dark Hall is an American-Spanish supernatural horror film directed by Rodrigo Cortés and written by Chris Sparling and Michael Goldbach. It is based on the 1974 novel of the same name by Lois Duncan.
The film was released on August 17, 2018 with a limited release in theaters and a direct-to-VOD, by Summit Entertainment.

Plot

Kit Gordy, a difficult young girl, is sent to the mysterious Blackwood Boarding School when her behavior becomes too much for her school to handle. When she arrives at Blackwood, Kit meets eccentric headmistress Madame Duret and the school’s only other students, four young women also headed down a troubled path. After strange things begin happening and they explore the labyrinthine corridors of the school, Kit and her classmates discover that Blackwood Manor hides an age-old secret rooted in the paranormal.

Cast

optioned the Lois Duncan novel in April 2012. In July 2014, Lionsgate acquired the film. Rodrigo Cortés was announced as the director the same day, and screenwriter Chris Sparling was set to work using a previous draft by Michael Goldbach. In early October 2016, AnnaSophia Robb was announced to play the main role, and Taylor Russell joined the cast three days later. On October 24, Victoria Moroles joined the cast as Veronica.
To promote the pending release, Summit Entertainment released a movie trailer online for the film on May 22, 2018.

Filming

began on October 2016 in Barcelona. with Jarin Blaschke as the director of photography. After four weeks of shooting in Barcelona and two weeks in the Canary Islands, filming ended in December 2016.

Release

The film was released on August 17, 2018, by Summit Entertainment. It was released simultaneously in theaters, with a limited release, and on digital through video-on-demand. The film was scheduled for release on Blu-ray combo pack and DVD October 16, 2018 by Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

Reception

Down a Dark Hall received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 50% based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's critic consensus reads: "Down a Dark Hall is more stylish than scary, although its foreboding atmosphere may raise a few goosebumps among younger viewers".
On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 56 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".