Director: Luke Meyer, Andrew Neel
Starring: Skip Lipman, Daniel McArthur, Rebecca Thurmond, Kenyon Wells
One of the wonderful things about documentaries is their ability, when done well, to open our eyes to worlds within our own, of which we were completely unaware. Luke Meyer and Andrew Neel have given us just such a feature in Darkon, which tells the story of a group of passionate individuals whose love for fantasy and search for acceptance leads them into a real life version of fantasy role-playing games. The characters are interesting and often filled with an undercurrent of pathos, as are their stories.
Darkon is an unusual but compelling, documentary about adults who retreat on weekends into a world of medieval fantasy kingdoms and battles. The story is told in a straightforward manner, switching back and forth from the subjects’ lives in our modern society to their intricate fantasy game, complete with countries, rulers, alliances and battles, with armor and foam weapons. There is a strange melancholy to their choice to give so much time, effort and emotion to their make-believe world. I watched much of this film with an uncomprehending furrowed brow, as I tried to understand, and make sense of it all, but I was also completely absorbed by it.
Darkon is a wonderful documentary for those who, like me, have an insatiable curiosity about the world around us and how people find so many different ways to interact with it. Many will find this candid glimpse into the lives of rather immature, and socially awkward, gamers to be boring and disturbing. Those with an interest in fantasy role-playing, particularly in a live action setting will find it irresistible. If you have enjoyed previous features like Spellbound and King Of Kong, then this will be just your sort of motion picture.
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