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Hold the Dark

Play trailer 2:07 Poster for Hold the Dark TV-MA 2018 2h 5m Mystery & Thriller Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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69% Tomatometer 83 Reviews 33% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Summoned to a remote Alaskan village to search for the wolves that killed three children, a wolf expert soon finds himself unraveling a harrowing mystery.
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Hold the Dark

Hold the Dark

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Critics Consensus

Hold the Dark's unsettling aesthetic offers more of what filmgoers expect from director Jeremy Saulnier - and is often enough to prop up shaky narrative underpinnings.

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Critics Reviews

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Adam Kempenaar Filmspotting 10/29/2018
3.5/5
Holding the dark - embracing it within, or keeping it away - is what all of Saulnier's films are about. Go to Full Review
Brad Newsome Sydney Morning Herald 10/10/2018
A grim, unsettling and ultimately forgettable Netflix horror flick that has a surprisingly high daytime body count for something that takes place mostly in the dark night of the Alaskan winter. Go to Full Review
Robert Daniels 812filmreviews 10/04/2018
3/4
Saulnier's lens has become more defined and his pursuit of the shot intenser...Saulnier's pursuit of the shot gives the film not just an authenticity, but encapsulates the mood of the adapted screenplay. Go to Full Review
Vadim Rizov Filmmaker Magazine 01/04/2023
Nearly two hours long and smothered in portent, this is either just no fun or straight-up overwrought. Go to Full Review
Taylor Baker Drink in the Movies 09/01/2021
90/100
Episode 11: Moving On Go to Full Review
Dan Buffa KSDK News (St. Louis) 11/10/2020
Wright looks confused the entire film, things get very weird late, and at the end, you are depressed and wondering what you watched. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Marco L @decatur555 3h A harsh, unsettling thriller that never tries to make things easy. Jeremy Saulnier returns to familiar territory, where violence is raw, sudden, and stripped of any heroic framing. The film unfolds with an almost hypnotic rhythm, deliberately disorienting, refusing to offer clear answers or conventional comfort. There is a machine-gun shootout that stands out as one of the film’s most unforgettable moments — brutal, cold, and deeply uncomfortable, not because it’s spectacular, but because of how matter-of-fact it feels. Visually, the frozen landscapes and oppressive silence turn the environment into an active threat rather than mere scenery. Not as tight or direct as Green Room, and occasionally too hermetic for its own good, but still an intense, disturbing experience that leaves a mark. A film that doesn’t aim to please everyone — and is stronger for it. See more Kyle B. @fivecharacterslong Jan 20 Wright is impeccable in anything. Only reason to watch, yet you see he may not be happy with direction as his character is unable to fully develop. A proper Coen take would have been aces. See more Paul @Kfkrjdjodkfkdkdkd Jan 20 This movie is poo from an actual wolfs butt. Jeffrey Wright was amazing though and I did not realize he had such depth. See more Joshua M @Jmack1077 Jan 14 One of the worst movies I’ve watched. Wish I could have my time back. Plot terrible, realism terrible, story terrible. Acting was not entirely terrible but don’t waste your time. See more Deb S @Tomatopie Jan 14 Sssslooooooooow. Stupid dialogue that is supposed to be meaningful and falls so short of that its embarrassing. See more Hermine G @Hermine Jan 8 The worst movie I've ever watched. I feel embarrassed for wasting my precious time watching it. Just terrible. See more Read all reviews
Hold the Dark

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis Summoned to a remote Alaskan village to search for the wolves that killed three children, a wolf expert soon finds himself unraveling a harrowing mystery.
Director
Jeremy Saulnier
Producer
Eva Maria Daniels, Russell Ackerman, John Schoenfelder, Anish Savjani, Neil Kopp
Screenwriter
Macon Blair
Production Co
Film Science, Addictive Pictures, Netflix
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 28, 2018
Runtime
2h 5m
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