A stylishly shot grainy black and white documentary, Dark Days tells the stories of some of the homeless living in the subway tunnels beneath Manhattan.
The director actually spent two years living in the tunnels. The friendships he formed not only allowed him intimate access to their lives, but also gave him a much needed film crew, as most of the film’s subjects also assisted in the making of the film (one of them even built a dolly for tracking shots).
It is an unsentimental telling, each person sharing their humor and honesty, pain and pride. It is an eye-opening portrait of humanity, of a community formed in the unlikeliest of places, of survival, and of independence.
My only real complaint is the lack of a follow up as to the whereabouts of each person at the conclusion to the film. This information is available in the DVD supplements, but should have been used to end the film. Without the supplemental material, the ending feels inconclusive.
Dark Days
Score: 72%
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