Week 45

Light, Dark and Shadows

This week's movie challenge is to watch with a light, dark, or shadows theme.

These don't just set the mood, they add to storytelling, whether through the suspense of lurking shadows, the fear of the dark, or a hopeful glow of light. Here are a few subgenres with suggestions of movies that could count.

First up is survival in darkness, where characters are often stuck terrifying environments, relying on limited light to survive. In Pitch Black (2000), a spaceship crash leaves survivors stranded on a planet full of deadly creatures that hunt in the dark. Another example is The Descent (2005), where a group of cave explorers finds themselves trapped underground, their only hope of survival lying in their rapidly dwindling light sources.

Then there are films about blindness or vision loss, where darkness is a constant presence. Wait Until Dark (1967) stars Audrey Hepburn as a blind woman who must outwit criminals in her own home. In Don’t Breathe (2016), a group of burglars enters a blind man's house only to discover they're at his mercy when the lights go out. Blindness (2008) takes a more dystopian approach, with a sudden epidemic of blindness throwing society into chaos.

For those who love magic, fantasy films with light and dark forces use brightness and shadow to symbolize good and evil. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), the terrifying Dementors bring darkness with them, while Harry’s Patronus charm shines as a beacon of hope. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) contrasts the lush, green Shire with the shadowy, dangerous lands ruled by Sauron.

Finally, let's explore movies with light, dark, or shadow directly in the title. The Light Between Oceans (2016) is a romantic drama set around a remote lighthouse. Dark City (1998) is a sci-fi thriller about a city trapped in eternal night and Shadow of a Doubt (1943) by Alfred Hitchcock is a classic thriller about dark secrets hidden in a seemingly innocent family.

Below we’ve added some suggestions/recommendations for movies that would count for the challenge. Let us know what you’ve watched, what you’re thinking of watching, or whether you’ve got any recommendations to pass to your fellow CineChums.

Suggestions

These movies are mentioned in the video as potential suggestions for the challenge.

30 Days of Night

Bird Box

Buried

By the Light of the Silvery Moon

City of Ember

Coco

Coraline

Dark City

Dark Shadows

Dark Water

Dark Waters

Don't Breathe

Enter the Void

Eyes Wide Shut

Gravity

I Saw the TV Glow

Insidious

Insomnia

Light of My Life

Lights Out

Mandy

Moonlight

Nightwatch

Pitch Black

Ray

See No Evil, Hear No Evil

Shadow of a Doubt

Shadow of the Vampire

Sunshine

The Dark Crystal

The Dark Tower

The Descent

The Fog

The Light Between Oceans

The Lighthouse

The Shadow

The Shadow Strays

Tommy

Tron

Tunnel

Wait Until Dark

Zatoichi

Challenge Stats

Completed the Challenge: 42
Total Movies Watched: 68
Different Movies Watched: 57
Hours Watched: 117

City Lights

3

City Lights (1931)

Wait Until Dark

3

Wait Until Dark (1967)

Dark Passage

2

Dark Passage (1947)

The Light on the Hill

2

The Light on the Hill (2016)

What We Do in the Shadows

2

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Insomnia

2

Insomnia (2002)

The Dark Half

2

The Dark Half (1993)

Army of Shadows

2

Army of Shadows (1969)

Shadow of the Vampire

2

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

Dark City

1

Dark City (1998)

Near Dark

1

Near Dark (1987)

Midnight Cowboy

1

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Dark Waters

1

Dark Waters (2019)

Ricki and the Flash

1

Ricki and the Flash (2015)

Dracula: Prince of Darkness

1

Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

Brother Bear

1

Brother Bear (2003)

Darkman

1

Darkman (1990)

Descent Into Darkness

1

Descent Into Darkness (2013)

Daybreakers

1

Daybreakers (2010)

Days of Wine and Roses

1

Days of Wine and Roses (1963)

The Dark Crystal

1

The Dark Crystal (1982)

Dark Skies

1

Dark Skies (2013)

The Night of the Hunter

1

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Twilight

1

Twilight (2008)

The Light of the Moon

1

The Light of the Moon (2017)

Coraline

1

Coraline (2009)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

1

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

Firebrand

1

Firebrand (2024)

The Swan Princess

1

The Swan Princess (1994)

Scent of a Woman

1

Scent of a Woman (1992)

Moonlight

1

Moonlight (2016)

Thor: The Dark World

1

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Dracula

1

Dracula (1931)

Blacker Than the Night

1

Blacker Than the Night (1975)

The Core

1

The Core (2003)

The Crow

1

The Crow (2024)

Heretic

1

Heretic (2024)

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

1

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

1

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

Winter Light

1

Winter Light (1963)

Phobias

1

Phobias (2021)

Empire of Light

1

Empire of Light (2022)

Under the Shadow

1

Under the Shadow (2016)

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark

1

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

The Third Man

1

The Third Man (1949)

1

Dark Star (1974)

I Saw the TV Glow

1

I Saw the TV Glow (2024)

Late Phases

1

Late Phases (2014)

Let There Be Light

1

Let There Be Light (2019)

A Brief History of Time

1

A Brief History of Time (1991)

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2

1

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

Nightwatch

1

Nightwatch (1994)

Orion and the Dark

1

Orion and the Dark (2024)

The Dark Tower

1

The Dark Tower (2017)

Darkness Falls

1

Darkness Falls (2003)

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

1

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

See No Evil, Hear No Evil

1

See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)

Most watched actors

Nikki Reed

Nikki Reed (5)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Twilight (2008)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart (5)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Twilight (2008)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

Elizabeth Reaser

Elizabeth Reaser (5)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Twilight (2008)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

Peter Facinelli

Peter Facinelli (5)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Twilight (2008)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

Kellan Lutz

Kellan Lutz (5)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Twilight (2008)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

Taylor Lautner

Taylor Lautner (5)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Twilight (2008)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

Robert Pattinson

Robert Pattinson (5)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Twilight (2008)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

Billy Burke

Billy Burke (5)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Twilight (2008)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

Ashley Greene

Ashley Greene (5)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Twilight (2008)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

Jackson Rathbone

Jackson Rathbone (5)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Twilight (2008)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)