Has Halloween gotten a little too commercial for you? Too childish? Not scary enough? A group of paramilitary villains thinks so, and to remedy that, they decided to deliver death and chaos — live on the web. The Dark Military spares no one in this indie horror movie, and just when you thought you were having a spooky time, they bring the horror back to the holiday.
Halloween gets a modern technological upgrade. As a group calling themselves The Dark Military lures unsuspecting young people into a game of life or death. The world watches helplessly as the hunt is telecast over the internet.
The Dark Military, IMDB
We’re in an age of livestreaming everything from our daily lives to special events. In The Dark Military, this is no different. The titular group sets up the Halloween game “Survival Ground” where a busload of unsuspecting victims — drunk from a mix of alcohol and party vibes — is brought to a secluded location and picked off one-by-one. Those watching the broadcast, regular citizens and police included, can only watch as death is blasted over their screens.
Right from the beginning, we understand what chaos The Dark Military is able to cause; they torture a victim and explain their problem with Halloween today. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting game players, they are left to suffer the consequences of wanting a little fun. Members of the Dark Military cannot be reasoned with, always enjoying the “hunt.” Brandishing knives, guns, and killer cunning, the death count rises dramatically in a short time.
I really liked The Dark Military for its simple story. Without all the pomp and circumstance and overbearing messaging of “hunting” films like The Hunger Games, The Dark Military gives us exactly what we want: a high kill count, Halloween, and modern ties to tech. While I’ve never “played” a Halloween game like this — such as zombie paintball or even extreme haunts — I too would be terrified if I joined something not knowing it may result in my death.
But The Dark Military is not just violence, it has some funny moments too. Constant jokes about one character’s tribal tattoo were nice, but it was really a questionable makeout-for-survival scene that had me laughing. We mustn’t forget that this is still a horror movie though, and it quickly went back to the kills, making sure to scramble our brains with moments of unpredictability.
Though The Dark Military could use just a tad bit more spooky elements (it does take place during Halloween, so some well-placed jack-o-lanterns in the woods would have done the trick), it still offers fast-paced action, a fun concept, and the Halloween spirit of survival.
The Dark Military is streaming now on Tubi. Check out writer/director Loren W. Lepre on Instagram for more.
