Ah, TV movies. There are some surprisingly great ones in the world amid many lackluster brethren, but either way they earned a definite reputation over time thanks to a long, predominant history of mixed bags, to say nothing of regular fare from the likes of the Sci-Fi Channel (now SyFy) and Lifetime. The production values in 'Daughter of darkness' show its roots and its age, and the film also comes off as astoundingly direct, even more than we usually expect of television features. This isn't to say it can't be worthwhile, but the company it keeps is as notable as its primary stars. Recognizing no small measure of ham-handedness accompanying the straightforward slant, I'm still think this is pretty fun - only, perhaps less than essential.
It needs to be said that plot development is almost painfully swift, and constructed with a logic that is pure Movie Magic. Every Romanian that protagonist Katherine meets happens to speak English; the U. S. ambassador is unbelievably accessible; every person Katherine speaks to, even random passers-by, are bewilderingly willing to listen and help. Some of this has meaningful (and predictable) basis in the narrative, and none of it is out of the ordinary for the medium, yet the incidence is never not striking. Given the nature of 'Daughter of darkness' as suggested, the cast have certain limits on what they're able to accomplish, not least as enthusiastic editing joins with the forthright angle of the TV-approved writing and direction to maintain a brisk pace and chop scenes up into relatively minute snippets. Alongside that momentum, the movie oscillates all too quickly between tones as the plot progresses. And to that point, while the flavor of filmmaker Stuart Gordon and his collaborators is seen in the swell effects, dream sequences, the most gnarly character designs, and other active genre elements, it's safe to say this is a far cry from the likes of 'Re-animator' and 'From beyond,' and one wonders how Gordon became involved with the production.
There are plentiful reasonable hang-ups one should have about this picture, to be sure - including the fact that to achieve their goals, all the antagonists would have had to do was bide their time and play nice, and a major aspect of the protagonist's character doesn't come into play until the climax. Just because it's flawed doesn't mean it's not entertaining, though, or (modestly) deserving. While overly curt, and overcooked, on paper the narrative is engaging, and compelling; would that it had more opportunity to manifest, breathe, and resolve of its own accord. The ensemble make the most of what they have to work with: Mia Sara is a fine leading lady, for example, and Dezso Garas is an unlikely highlight as he realizes cab driver Max with delightful personality. Just as Hungary is a fine stand-in for Romania with choice filming locations, the production design and art direction are commendable. The costume design is maybe a little curious, but excellent on the face of it, as well as hair and makeup work. Even though I disagree with some of the choices made, or think they don't come off entirely well, at large 'Daughter of darkness' is well made from a technical standpoint.
This isn't outright bad, not by any means. It is, however, defined by those same problems that we see as common to made-for-TV movies. Plain-faced, gauche, and rushed, 'Daughter of darkness' sometimes rides a line of testing suspension of disbelief just on account of those faults. Even so, it wants only to tell a tale of supernatural horror, and is solid enough as it does so. More mindful care outside the restrictions of small screen production would have gone a long way to change the end result of what this represents, but it's nevertheless enjoyable in its own right. This 1990 feature may not be especially remarkable, and there's no need to go out of your way for it - but if you happen to come across 'Daughter of darkness,' it's not a bad way to spend 90 minutes.
