“There’ll be no morning for us.”
Helen Kent- Dracula: Prince of Darkness
Everyone knows John Carpenter is the king of horror. Halloween and The Thing are masterpieces in the genre. He’s also an accomplished sci-fi director. Films like Big Trouble in Little China and They Live are more than cult classics at this point. But Prince of Darkness, released in 1987, is a film no one really talks about.
I’ll be the first to admit that the plot is extremely convoluted. There is a lot of scientific and religious philosophy jargon that is hard to understand. The film also moves at a snail’s pace before hopping on the crazy train. These things don’t make the movie bad. They actually make the film stand out. Prince of Darkness isn’t just a run of the mill horror film. It’s hauntingly unique.
The IMDb plot synopsis is extremely vague. It reads: “A research team finds a mysterious cylinder in a deserted church. If opened, it could mean the end of the world.” This is what the movie is about, but it’s extremely basic. The film asks what if science and faith intersected and at that intersection was pure evil. What John Carpenter is trying to accomplish is extremely ambitious. He merges not only horror and sci-fi but also religious philosophy and quantum physics.
The film’s cast lacks star power but is made up of a few familiar faces. Carpenter veterans Donald Pleasence and Victor Wong star as a priest and a scientist. Wong brings along some of his most promising students to help Pleasence figure out how to stop this entity. The characters go back and forth, arguing religion and science while the rest of the crew begin getting picked off or possessed one by one. At the heart of this film is humanity’s eternal struggle with good vs. evil.
Carpenter’s scriptwriting is on the front stage here. It’s a tight and well-crafted screenplay. The dialogue is sharp, and the set pieces are outstanding. The tone is creepy, and there is a good amount of body horror. The constant exchange of body fluid is was truly unsettling. Carpenter’s other strong asset is his musical ability. His scores are legendary, and this film is no different.
Prince of Darkness is a chilling and intellectual horror film. It benefits from multiple viewings because there are subtle details that aren’t necessarily important but add context. This film isn’t as beloved as other Carpenter films because it doesn’t have that giant star. Even without that huge star, Prince of Darkness deserves to be considered a classic just like Halloween or The Thing.
