The ultimate exploration into all things 1980s horror, In Search of Darkness achieves its goal as an encyclopaedic deep dive into the movies, people, and themes that brought forth a prosperous era in blood soaked cinema, that horror die-hard and novice will revel in.

Outside of science fiction, you cannot find a more community driven and innovative film genre than that of horror. From the filmmkaers to its fans, horror movies have proven to be the genre that will never die, just as long as the need to scare and to be scared resonates deeply within us. In Search of Darkness, a four hour plus documentary, delves into the most prolific and innovative era of horror cinema: the ‘80s, a decade of excess that generated all kinds of movie monsters, never ending sequels, and gave rise to many great filmmakers.

Directed and written by longtime film journalist David A. Weiner (his debut), In Search of Darkness takes an almost encyclopaedic approach to the presentation of its subject. Highlighting several films from every year in the ‘80s, there is an almost giddy anticipation as to which horror classic will be chosen and dissected next. Of course, all of the greats of the era, ranging from The Shining, to A Nightmare on Elm Street, to Hellraiser all feature. Also included are horror gems that many would not have seen. If there is any criticism to be had, it’s that there was too much emphasis on sequels, while other essential works (Angel Heart, The Dead Zone, Aliens) are curiously, frustratingly omitted.

A cross section of interview heads ranging from filmmakers (John Carpenter, Stuart Gordon), to stars (Cassandra Peterson, Barbara Cranston), to even the likes of Corey Taylor from Slipknot, give their takes on the making and impact of these movies. More than apparent is that despite the schlocky and exploitative enterprise of some of these titles, the horror genre from this era had an everlasting impact on the film industry as a whole. This is especially felt in creature and make-up effects, with all matter of macabre monster and sinister ghoul given life through the work of Stan Winston, Rob Bottin, Tom Savini, and more. Through their work that thin veil between fantasy and reality was lifted, opening the door to the likes of the superhero movie.

An exploration and tribute to an equally loved and maligned period of genre filmmaking, In Search of Darkness is as overwhelming as it is comprehensive. Horror fans will get a kick out of its content, while horror novice will not find a better starting point to dive into.