Darkness of Man is a 2024 American action thriller film written, directed and co-produced by James Cullen Bressack. It stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kristanna Loken, Emerson Min, Spencer Breslin, Sticky Fingaz, and Shannen Doherty (in her final film released during her lifetime).[2][3] The plot follows Interpol operative Russell Hatch (Van Damme) who witnesses the death of an informant when a seemingly routine raid goes wrong. Years later, he finds himself protecting the informant's son from a group of merciless gangs involved in an all-out turf war.
| Darkness of Man | |
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 Release poster | |
| Directed by | James Cullen Bressack |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Pascal Combes-Knoke |
| Edited by | R.J. Cooper |
| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Saban Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5 million |
| Box office | $17,324[1] |
The film was released on VOD on May 21, 2024. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
Plot
editRussell Hatch an Interpol operative who takes on the role of father figure to Jayden, the son of an informant killed in a routine raid gone wrong.[4]
Cast
edit- Jean-Claude Van Damme as Russell Hatch
- Kristanna Loken as Claire
- Emerson Min as Jayden
- Peter Jae as Dae Hyun
- Spencer Breslin as Chris
- Ji Yong Lee as Mr. Kim
- Sticky Fingaz as Yates
- Andrey Ivchenko as Lazar
- Shannen Doherty as Vivian
- Zack Ward as Alexei
- Chika Kanamoto as Esther
- Nick Diaz as Bo
- Weston Cage as Anton
- Kristos Andrews as Victor
- Shane Yoon as Min
- Sean Rhee as Joon
- Jay Kwon as Chul
- Lorenzo Antonucci as Markov
- Cynthia Rothrock as Nurse Leslie
- April Toledo as Cindy
- Kris Van Damme as Igor
- Galadriel Stineman as Dana
- B.J. Hendricks as Andy
- Nicolas Van Varenberg as Nikolai
- Danielle Vasinova as Sandra
- Marina Mazepa as Natalia
- SwagboyQ as Eric
- Eric Roberts as Larry
- Jackie Dallas as Ji-Soo
- David Josh Lawrence as Sasha
- Justin Bradley as Dennis
- Randall Bacon as Ed
- Andrea S. Loveless as Ethel
- Juliet Vega as Wendy
- Erik Walker Neill as Officer Stanislav
- Anna Harr as Bethany
- Sky Shim as Korean Gangster
- Mike Ferragamo as Russian Gangster
- Todd Senofonte as Russian Gangster
- Yavuz Topuz as Vlad
- Matt Staudt as Sergei
- Terrence Rotolo as Lazar's Driver
- James Cullen Bressack as Gordon
- Luke LaFontaine as Russian Cop
- Victoria De Mare as Makeup Room Girl
Production
editIn November 2022, it was announced that an action film titled Darkness of Man was in development, with James Cullen Bressack directing, co-producing and co-writing the screenplay. Jean-Claude Van Damme was cast in the lead role as Russell Hatch.[5] In March 2024, with the release of the official trailer, it was revealed that Kristanna Loken, Emerson Min, Spencer Breslin, Sticky Fingaz, and Shannen Doherty had joined the cast.[6]
Release
editIn February 2023, Saban Films acquired the distribution rights to the film.[7]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 70% of 10 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Darkness of Man (2024)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ Johnson, Ted (2024-07-14). "Shannen Doherty Dies: 'Beverly Hills 90210' And 'Charmed' Star Was 53". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
- ^ Barnes, Mike (2024-07-14). "Shannen Doherty, Actress on 'Beverly Hills, 90210' and 'Charmed,' Dies at 53". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
- ^ Darkness of Man 2024
- ^ Ritman, Alex (November 1, 2022). "Jean-Claude Van Damme to Lead Neo-Noir L.A. Action Film 'Darkness of Man' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Squires, John (March 25, 2024). "'Darkness of Man' Trailer – Jean Claude Van Damme Is Back in Rated "R" Action Thriller". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ Ravindran, Manori (February 15, 2023). "Jean-Claude Van Damme's 'Darkness of Mans' Sells to Saban Films (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "Darkness of Man". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 4, 2024.