The film that has a great idea but doesn’t quite pull it off is almost a genre unto itself, and “Dark Arc” exemplifies that genre. It seems to have been envisioned as an examination of visual arts and their effects on the viewer as well as a commentary on the way the elite manipulate the simpler, lower class. Unfortunately, it largely comes across as dull, plodding, and unutterably pretentious.
The characters all speak like teenagers emulating Byron, the lead actor has exactly two expressions and speaks in a monotone, and the background music is full of doom and gloom – violins, organs, and the like. Although visually, “Dark Arc” is stunning and it is an excellent subject for analysis and discussion, if you’re not a student of film or art philosophy, you are best advised to stay away.