Darkfield’s Eulogy review: As close as you can get to an unsettling dream while still awake
For you if:
You want to experience exquisite sound design
You like a psychological thriller and/or unsettling themes (wouldn’t quite classify it as horror)
You are an anxious person and want to expose yourself to immersion therapy (I fit into this category)
Not for you if:
You’re afraid of the dark
You want to chill out
If you haven’t been to a Darkfield experience before, let me fill you in on a couple of important details. You are in a shipping container, you are warned you’re going to be plunged into darkness for the duration of the performance and that there is an opportunity at the beginning for you to leave but otherwise, please strap in and stay put the entirety of the performance. You may remove your earphones which will somewhat pause the experience but you are (consentingly of course) pretty much in for the ride.
Now, on putting on your earphones, a close, unsettling voice whispers in your ear, in this case telling you to answer questions truthfully before whisking you away for an experience powered by an audio track, some clever physical effects and your imagination.
I am a claustrophobic, pretty highly-strung person who thought that The Ring (rated 15 guys) was the scariest thing she ever saw and refused to ever see a horror movie ever again. I have seen both of Darkfield’s other shows Flight and Sceance, both of which made me feel like a survivor of some monumental odyssey as I stumbled back out into the light as a much sweatier, adrenaline-fuelled and jumpy version of my good self.
Why, you might ask, do I keep going back?
Well let me tell you: Because Darkfield experiences are exhilarating, mindbending and thought-provoking. Because this is the closest you can be to dreaming while being awake. Because unlike dreaming, you get to experience the discomfort relatively collectively and there’s a strange comfort being able to discuss the shared discomfort afterwards. Because I trust that the creators stay just on the right side of psychological thriller, rather than trying to make you feel as uncomfortable as possible for the sake of it (which I associate with horror). And finally, because I never ceased to be amazed by the power of Darkfield’s exquisite sound design.
If you’ve experienced Darkfield before - this is probably between Flight and Sceance on the overwhelming scale (with Flight being most overwhelming). Without saying too much for Eulogy the setting is a hotel that you journey deeper and deeper into, for what reason is slightly unclear. There’s more interaction and personalisation than previous shows, supported by voice recognition technology which ups the uncanny anti.
Will it be comfortable? It wasn’t really for me. Regardless, it’s a hell of a ride and I highly recommend it.
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