'In Search of Darkness 1990-1994' Review - Celebratory Documentary Dives into Horror's Lost Period

In 2019, what started as a crowdfunded project became a fully realized film when In Search of Darkness, directed by David E. Weiner, was released. It was another in a long line of documentaries that gather horror's biggest names to talk about the history of the genre in TV and cinema. Where In Search of Darkness set itself apart in such a familiar formula was how in depth it went. That first film was a whopping 264 minutes long, and became a favorite for hardcore horror fans. This led to In Search of Darkness: Part II in 2020, which focused more on the practical effects of the '80s, and 2022's In Search of Darkness: Part III, a celebration of straight-to-video horror.

Now comes the next installment, available for purchase on digital. In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994 is maybe the most important in the franchise so far because it centers its attention on an often overlooked era of the genre. If horror is your jam, you'll love this entry just as much as the others. If you're a casual fan, get ready to learn something new... as long as you have six hours to spare!

What Is 'In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994' About?

The original In Search of Darkness wisely chose to focus on the 1980s, when horror was at its peak thanks to the slasher boom. Cinemas then were dominated by Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and all of their sequels and clones. The newest In Search of Darkness, however, is the most challenging, because 1990-1994 are the years when horror was seen as dead. The slasher wave had crashed, and we were a few years from when Wes Craven's Scream and The Blair Witch Project not only reinvented horror but resurrected it as well.

In Search of Darkness' format breaks the years down into chapters, with each getting extensive coverage. The biggest names in horror are back as well, from directing legends like John Carpenter and Mick Garris to new visionaries such as Mike Flanagan. We also get to hear from actors such as David Dastmachian, and writers too (thank you very much), like Akela Cooper, the scribe behind Malignant and M3GAN.

In Search of Darkness is not just a simple retrospective of "and then this happened, and then that happened" either, as each year is broken up by a further dissection of what was going on in the decade. These segments focus on how Hollywood looked at horror in the early '90s (spoiler: they weren't fans), the emergence of CGI and how that pushed out practical effects, the passion of straight-to-video trash horror, and the gateway of TV horror that was so prevalent in the decade with shows like Goosebumps and The X Files. You might go in believing the popular opinion that early '90s horror sucked, but you'll come out with a newfound respect for it.

'In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994' Is a Masterclass In Horror History

David A. Weiner is back as the director of In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994, just as he was for the first three films; so if you've seen those, you can expect the same format and style. That's a good thing. The franchise has excelled by keeping its premise simple so it can dig deep into the content. Each year covers a dozen films or more, so while you can't expect to spend 20 minutes with one film, nothing is ever quickly glossed over. Just as much attention is given to heavyweight releases such as Candyman and Wes Craven's New Nightmare as there is to smaller titles like Frankenhooker or Basket Case 3.

Related

If you're a horror fan, you might know about the importance of The Silence of the Lambs or The People Under the Stairs, but just as fascinating is listening to German director Jörg Buttgereit explain what he was trying to say with shocking cult classics Nekromantik 2 and Schramm. Who wouldn't love listening to John Carpenter talk about how he was supposed to direct The Exorcist III, Alex Winter looking back at what went into making Freaked (which had a cameo from his Bill & Ted cohort Keanu Reeves), or Heather Langenkamp reminiscing about working with Wes Craven? If you're a younger fan who wants to know more about horror, be ready to write down a plethora of names you've never heard of to check out.

'In Search of Darkness' Celebrates Early '90s Horror Rather Than Casting a Critical Eye

Image via Showtime Networks

In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994 also works best by never telling its viewer what to feel. One of the nicest qualities of the horror community is that they are so accepting of each other; they don't revel in bashing every outing, with older fans coming down on newbies, or certain names determining what is good and what is bad. In Search of Darkness is not interested in any of that hierarchy. Instead, it's a celebration of the whole. That doesn't mean it tries to sell every movie it highlights as one of the greatest horror movies ever made. Every selection that is given time has significance, either because it was a critical or box office darling, or because of the passion put into it, even if the end result didn't always work.

No matter if these movies were Hollywood blockbusters or made with no budget at all, they are all related because they all came out during a difficult time. Going into 1990, horror didn't know what it was anymore. That was both terrifying and a relief. The past was trying to hang on with more Child's Play and Hellraiser sequels, but a new crop of filmmakers was also taking big risks by tearing down expectations and rebuilding horror in their image. And this was all being done as Hollywood was ashamed of horror and technology was transforming how it was made.

At six hours long, In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994 can be a daunting endeavor, but it never overstays its welcome. It also doesn't demand to be seen in one sitting either. Feel free to break it down into multiple sittings like a TV series. It's not going anywhere and will be waiting for you in the darkness to return. Nearly the last 30 minutes are made up of credits to pay tribute to the fans by naming everyone who helped with its formation while also showing fan-made testimonials of why we love horror so much. For one fan, he wears a Jason Voorhees mask as his voice shakes and he talks about how horror got him through depression. This is just as compelling as listening to a horror legend in the business opining about a specific movie. Horror is beautiful. Horror is dark. Go searching for it and the possibilities of what to watch are endless. In Search of Darkness: 1990–1994 captures it all. And yes, in case you were wondering, In Search of Darkness 1995-1999, when horror became king again, is coming soon.

In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994 is available to buy on digital at 90sHorrordoc.com. Your name can be put on a Blu-Ray waitlist HERE.

BUY AT 90SHORRORDOC.COM