Review: The Devil in Darkness / Author: Christopher Fowler / Publisher: Hammer Chillers / Starring: Lauren Kellegher, Dylan Charles / Release Date: July 5th
Bafflegab and Hammer Films present the fifth Hammer Chiller, The Devil in Darkness, a thirty minute drama written by Christopher Fowler (The Bryant and May Mysteries).
Unlike previous releases this is a two-handed tale of the Friday evening when English researcher Mia (Kellegher) and a local electrician name Andrei (Charles) become trapped in an eerie old lift in the corner of the St Petersburg International Archive. Over the weekend they make several abortive attempts to get the alarm or the intercom to work, open the doors, exit the roof hatch or even get something to drink. As they get weaker a bond begins to form between them but all the time imagination begins to play tricks as they hear strange noises from below. When Andrei tells Mia of the grim history of the building she begins to believe that supernatural forces are at work and doubts that they will leave the lift alive.
The story is deftly told and we have a wonderful contrast between Mia’s accent (North-East England) and Andrei’s Slavic tones. As time runs out we the listeners cannot fail but to be shocked by the story’s resolution. As a piece of audio it is faultless and as claustrophobic as the earlier story The Box. Bafflegab’s pedigree as a highly competent and professional production company is fully evident.
