Welcome back to Movie Recap. Today I'm gonna show you a 2011 science fiction action film called,
The Darkest Hour. Spoilers ahead. Sit back, relax and enjoy the video.
The movie begins in a plane in the middle of take-off. The flight attendant is checking on
everyone to make sure that everything is in order. She saw the main characters who are playing in
their phone and told them that they need to turn off their phone as it may interfere the signals
when suddenly they experienced an electrical short but everything became normal again after that.
As they reached Russia, they hopped on the taxi as the two men are talking about their programmed
social networking application and what they plan to do after securing the deal. But when they
arrived on the building to present, a man, Skyler, stole their ideas and presented it to others.
Skyler told them that it was only business move for him to have done such a thing
before he calls for security to have them escorted out. They can only leave the place,
with their feeling of absurdity, while they are being accompanied by security as they go out.
In another place at night, two ladies are walking around a park while using
the app to go to a nightclub around the area. On the way to the club, the sky
however are filled with bats and birds flying. In the nightclub, the men are drinking their
frustrations. There, they met the ladies and an immediate spark happened because of their mutual
language. Just when they are about to take a picture, the electricity is all of a sudden gone.
People went outside to see what’s happening. The sky is field with aurora-like lights and
balls of lights are descending. When one light landed on the ground, it then became invisible
leaving everyone in wonder. A police officer then came to the spot to check everything
but when he came nearer, he turned to dust. People then run in panic and everything is in chaos.
From the alien’s point of view, humans looks like an orange light and an x-ray imagery. The
aliens take down everything that looks like that. The crowd entered the club again, while they are
driven at the edge, the barista threw a burning alcohol to the alien which seems to obstruct its
vision. On an attempt to destroy the alien, the man threw another bottle but the alien retaliated
and shot the barista and everyone panics again as they dispersed to wherever they can go.
The Americans and some locals are able to hide in a basement as they listen to the explosions and
screams from the outside. The only thing they can do there is hug each other and scream in panic.
They stayed in the basement for few days and ate the supplies they can find there.
When there is no food anymore, they decide to head out to go to the U.S Embassy.
Ben opened the door quietly so that they will not attract anything there.
Everyone is gone and the place was turned into shambles. There are ashes everywhere from dead
people that have been attacked by the aliens. Outside the building, every place is filled
with ashes and cars but there is no presence of anything living at all. As they are running, they
heard a sound of metal clashing with a cement. They saw a lady covering her window with bricks.
She pointed the direction to them and warned them to be careful of the lights.
When they are walking at the bridge, they saw that it was broken which means that
they will have to find a different direction to get to their goal.
In search for a map, Ben and Sean went to a police car to search.
The dog that was running around there suddenly bark at a direction as it was also turned into
ashes by the alien. The men saw this and shouted at their companions and told them to hide. In hope
to see what’s going on, Sean peeked his head but it only made the alien see him. As the alien got
closer to the car, the police siren sounded. In desperation, they hide at the bottom of the car.
It was effective, the alien only passed through them and they are able to run to the building.
Inside the mall, they are trying to make a roundabout through the mall but they
stumbled on a crushed airplane. Everyone felt a sense of hopelessness again. Skyler panicked
and they argued again. Their conversation however led to their observation of what
happened to them when the alien got near them. Sean points that electricity gives them the
clue of whether there is an alien near them. From their observation, they should travel
at night to be able to observe if there is a street light lit to warn them of the alien.
In a room at night, they study the map to know the fastest way to go the embassy.
Everyone was able to rest allowing them to remember what had happened at the first night
of the invasion. Then, Ben interfered and told everyone that they need to change their
clothes that are fit for running and movements. Natalie and Sean when out to change their clothes
first. When Natalie was changing clothes, Sean saw her accidentally when suddenly,
the light around them flashed again. Natalie immediately hide while Sean stayed in place as
the light bulb in his neck light up. But luckily, the alien did not see him. This made him realise
that the glass interfered their vision. As the alien got closer to Natalie, Sean was
able to go to her and they hid behind a glass again to wait for the alien to get pass them.
This confirmed Sean’s assumption. They went back to meet everyone and told them that the aliens are
inside. Sean realised that the aliens see their bio-electromagnetic energy and going behind a
non-conductive material like glass will make them invisible for the aliens since it is an insulator.
As planned, they start to travel at night. Lights and cars are lighting up or making a
sound on the street as the aliens pass by them. As they arrive on the embassy, only a ruined
building greeted them. Even so, they decided to enter the building. They saw little light
bulbs and guns spread everywhere on the ground. Sean told them that they need to go up to get a
better view of things and their condition. As they went up, they found maps marked with numbers and
notes written by other people about what happened around the world as well as a radio frequency.
Sean found a radio in the entrapped by a cage. He turned it on as they listen to the message
but they cannot understand what was being said. Anne angrily told them to turn the
radio off as aliens can see electricity and it can endanger them any time. Sean turned
the radio off and they decided to check the view. Sean found a window that allows them to see what
is currently happening. But what greeted them was aliens destroying building all around the area.
Suddenly, they heard a gunshot, it was Skyler walking outside shooting his gun.
As Sean and Ben decided to get Skyler to translate the message, an alien was nearing them and
Natalie saw as the lights and tries to warn them while Anne took the radio before they go down.
Sean and Ben was nearing Skyler telling him to comeback, but Skyler told them that he saw
something. Too focused with looking, they didn’t notice that an alien showed up in the middle of
them. To save them, Skyler sacrificed himself by shooting the alien to attract its attention.
It was a tragic sacrifice for them. Two men went back to the building,
Sean saw the light that Skyler saw and told them that they need to go there. Ben said otherwise,
but Sean told them that they need to get there because whoever that is knows how to survive in
their situation and is most probably able to translate the message form the radio.
When they arrived there, a Russian girl appeared and pointed a gun at them.
Sean told her that they saw the light and she put down the gun. She then knocked on the door and she
gave an object to Sergei. He allowed everyone to enter fast as he locks the metal door again.
Sergei told them that he turned the lights on to attract survivors.
Vika shared to them Sergei’s theory about the cage and aliens. The steel bars around the
room ground the external electrical currents which makes them invisible for the aliens.
He said that they are made of lethal wave energy that is why they are invisible to human eyes.
Sean remembered the message and let Vika listen to the radio to translate.
It said that the Russian Navy have a nuclear submarine and will be leaving
tomorrow morning at 6 in the Moskva River. This gives them hope to leave the city.
At dawn, Vika asked the ladies if they can help her to gather supplies.
Before they went down, they locked the door to make sure that everything is safe.
Left in the cage, three men are discussing about a gun-like object on the table.
Sergei told them that it is a microwave projector he made that shoots microwave beam that can
cause damage to the aliens. A concept that follows the saying, to fight fire with fire.
The aliens are close to the building when it saw the women who are collecting supplies.
Vika told them that they know where they can hide but Annie took the shot and chose to go
to the cage. They are able to reach there but unfortunately, they are unable to lock
the gate which allows the alien to enter. The ladies hid behind the glass, while
Sergei tried his gun. It was effective and it did damage to the alien but one shot was not enough.
Unfortunately, it malfunctioned and the alien killed him.
Ben took the gun, while Natalie went to the fire escape to leave. Anne moved to late and she was
killed there as well. They went down and was able to meet with Vika. When they are running,
they saw that the alien was following them. At their new location, they saw another team
of survivors armed with gunfires and covered with chains. When the alien arrived there,
they started shooting and damage was noticeable after the microwave damage done earlier.
A fragment of Alien’s shield flew out before it left for retreat. The Russians welcome them,
while Sean collected the fragment. They told the Russians their plan to
leave for the submarine but they discouraged them. Every possible shot route was overtaken
by the aliens and the other way would take them 5 weeks to travel. Sean however told them that
they need to leave to get a chance of survival instead of dying slowly in a single place. This
convinced the Russians to tag along with them. When they are traveling, they unfortunately met
an alien that saw Vika and attacked her. In an attempt to save her, Ben went to her
to get her down but he was unfortunately caught by the alien and died on the spot.
Sean and Natalie are shocked to their wits end but still run to reach the river.
When they are on the boat, they stumbled on a rock. This causes them to be unable to move.
Outside, they saw the aliens digging for rich minerals there.
At the same time, the building near them was demolished and the pieces flew to them. They
jumped and swam until they reached the submarine. Natalie, however, cannot be found on the river.
On the submarine, everyone was there except for Natalie.
Sean convinced the officer to delay the departure until they are able to rescue her.
His argument was that they need to make sure that every person surviving must be saved
despite the risk of the same thing happening to their boat to happen to the submarine as well.
The officer agreed in the end, they entered the submarine to devise a plan.
Inside, they fixed the microwave gun Mr. Sergei made and discussed the location and routes.
After that, they went out armed with the microwave gun and missile gun.
Slowly, they walk as they threw electronics for signal. When they are on the trail,
they saw the bag and flare gun. Sean called for her as the other men proceeds to check the place.
Unfortunately, a problem occurred with the microwave gun again. Suddenly, a phone rang
which alarmed everyone as they spread out. Sean still tries to fix the gun but fell on the ground,
he can only desperately click on the gun. Just at the right time, the gun worked and
it damaged the alien’s shield. This allowed them to penetrate damage to the alien and killed one.
But just when they are feeling victorious, electronics from different directions rang
while the vehicles’ wiper starts moving. Sean created a hole on the water storage
to let water spread in the ground as a way to make a chain reaction once the microwave gun
was shot creating an area of damage while the others are positioned and ready to fire upon
damage. Sean left to look for Natalie. As the Aliens get nearer to them,
the aliens stopped before the water keeping their plan from working. At the same time,
Sean found Natalie’s location but have to be careful as there is an alien near them.
Suddenly, fire suddenly broke out after Vika threw fire at the aliens.
She appeared out of the blue and helped them with their plan. As the Aliens in the watered area,
a microwave gunshot did a chain reaction damage as Sean expected. The Aliens’ shields are damaged
allowing them to be killed by machine guns. The Aliens in their area are all killed.
When Sean entered the bus, the alien saw and followed him. This made the bus work and Natalie
was almost killed then. Good thing, Sean was able to fire the gun causing the alien to be weakened
and let go of Natalie. She ran to the driver’s seat to make sure they don’t bump into anything
while Sean deal with the alien. In the end, Sean killed the alien using another’s alien fragment.
As they reached the River, the Russian men decide to stay a fight the aliens as
they learned the how to fight. Only Sean, Natalie, and Vika entered the Submarine.
Natalie’s phone is repaired and she is able to read a text from her mother that she is
alive as well. In glee, Natalie stared at Sean as their face get nearer and nearer.
Good thing, Vika made a sound and stopped them. The movie ends as they listen to the radio
about the news from all around the globe learning to fight back against the aliens.