Diana Walter

''Lights Out'' is a 2016 American supernatural horror film directed by David F. Sandberg in his feature directorial debut and written by Eric Heisserer. It is based on Sandberg’s 2013 short film of the same name and stars Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Billy Burke, and Maria Bello. The narrative follows a woman who must protect her younger half-brother from a malevolent spirit that manifests only in darkness and is connected to their family’s past. Lotta Losten, who starred in the original short, appears in a supporting role.

The film was produced by Lawrence Grey, Eric Heisserer, and James Wan, and principal photography took place in Los Angeles from June to August 2015. ''Lights Out'' had its world premiere at the LA Film Festival on June 8, 2016, and was released theatrically in the United States and Canada by Warner Bros. Pictures on July 22, 2016.

Produced on a budget of $4.9 million, the film was a major box office success, grossing $148 million worldwide. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise directed at Sandberg’s direction, the screenplay, performances, cinematography, and musical score. A sequel is currently in development.

Plot

In a Los Angeles textile warehouse, an employee encounters a terrifying shadowy figure that appears only in darkness. Soon after, her boss, Paul, is killed by the entity when the lights go out. His son, Martin, later witnesses his mother, Sophie, speaking to an unseen presence in the dark. Troubled by sleep deprivation and fearful of his mother’s erratic behavior, Martin is taken in by his older half-sister, Rebecca, who recalls similar experiences from her own childhood.

Rebecca begins to investigate and discovers that Sophie had a childhood friend named Diana while institutionalized as a teen. Diana suffered from a rare skin condition and was believed to have a malevolent influence over others. After a failed light-based experimental treatment at the hospital, Diana died, but her spirit appears to have remained tethered to Sophie.

As Diana's attacks grow more violent, Rebecca, Martin, and Rebecca's boyfriend Bret try to protect themselves by keeping their environment brightly lit. Diana cuts the house’s power and kills two police officers responding to the disturbance. Trapped inside, Rebecca learns that Diana can only exist through Sophie’s mental connection. To protect her children, Sophie sacrifices herself, breaking Diana’s tether and causing the entity to vanish.

In the aftermath, Rebecca and Martin are comforted by Bret, who assures them that Diana is truly gone.

Cast

Production

Development

Director David F. Sandberg and his wife, Lotta Losten, created the original ''Lights Out'' short film in 2013 for a film competition. Although the entry did not win, the short gained widespread attention after going viral online. The exposure led to Sandberg being contacted by numerous agents, prompting him to track inquiries via a spreadsheet. One of those who reached out was producer Lawrence Grey, who sought to collaborate with filmmaker James Wan on a feature-length adaptation. Wan initially had reservations about expanding the concept into a full film, but changed his mind after Sandberg presented a detailed treatment.

Following the project’s development, Sandberg and Losten relocated from Sweden to Los Angeles. The move posed logistical challenges, including Losten having to leave her job and the couple being unable to secure an apartment due to their lack of U.S. credit history, which led them to live in temporary Airbnb rentals.

Sandberg originally envisioned the character of Rebecca based on a real individual struggling with depression and self-harm, which is reflected in the character's arm scars. Although the initial concept dealt more directly with mental illness, the narrative gradually shifted toward a supernatural horror story. The idea of Diana being a literal ghost was suggested by Wan. Sandberg introduced character subversions, such as making Rebecca’s boyfriend a responsible and supportive figure, despite his rocker appearance, and portraying the "imaginary friend" trope through the mother rather than a child.

Casting

In June 2015, Gabriel Bateman and Teresa Palmer were cast in the lead roles as Martin and Rebecca, respectively. Maria Bello joined the cast as their mother, Sophie. Alexander DiPersia was cast as Rebecca’s boyfriend Bret, Billy Burke as Paul, Martin's father and Rebecca’s stepfather, and Alicia Vela-Bailey portrayed the supernatural antagonist Diana.

Filming

Principal photography began in June 2015 in Los Angeles and concluded on August 5, 2015. Prior to directing ''Lights Out'', Sandberg had no on-set experience and had never worked with a professional film crew. He later recalled asking his assistant director when he was supposed to say “action.”

Special effects

The film's signature visual motif—Diana appearing only in darkness—was largely achieved using practical effects and in-camera techniques. Sandberg frequently employed split-screen editing, shooting scenes with and without the actress portraying Diana and combining the footage. This technique had also been used in the original short film. To enhance visual tension, Sandberg created a list of "light gags" involving various light sources such as cell phones, gunfire, and UV lamps. A key scene featuring a flickering neon sign illuminating Diana was suggested by James Wan, replacing car headlights featured in an earlier version.

Ending Concerns

Following the film’s release, some viewers expressed concern that the ending—featuring Sophie’s suicide—could be interpreted as promoting self-harm. In an interview with ''The A.V. Club'', Sandberg addressed these criticisms, explaining that his original intent was to explore themes of depression, a subject he personally related to. During early development, Diana was not a ghost, and the story centered more directly on mental illness. A second ending was filmed in which Martin becomes depressed and Diana returns, but test audiences felt it undermined Sophie’s sacrifice. The final cut was retained to give the film a more emotionally conclusive resolution.

Release

''Lights Out'' had its world premiere at the LA Film Festival on June 8, 2016. It was later screened at New York Comic Con on July 20, 2016, before receiving a wide theatrical release in the United States and Canada on July 22, 2016, by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Reception

Box office

''Lights Out'' grossed $67.3 million in the United States and Canada and $81.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $148.9 million against a production budget of $4.9 million.

In North America, the film was projected to earn between $13–15 million from 2,900 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $1.8 million from Thursday night previews and $9.2 million on its first day. The film exceeded expectations and debuted with $21.7 million, finishing in third place behind ''Star Trek Beyond'' and ''The Secret Life of Pets''.

Internationally, the film earned $8.5 million in its opening weekend from 3,737 screens across key markets, including Russia and Australia, as well as 30 smaller Eastern European and Asian territories. It opened at number one in Russia with $1.7 million. Other top opening markets included South Korea ($3.9 million), France ($1.5 million), the United Kingdom ($1.4 million), and Spain ($1.1 million). Its highest-grossing territories were South Korea ($7.7 million), Mexico ($5.5 million), the United Kingdom ($4.5 million), and Spain ($3.9 million).

Critical response

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, ''Lights Out'' holds an approval rating of 75% based on 183 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website’s critical consensus reads: “''Lights Out'' makes skillful use of sturdy genre tropes—and some terrific performances—for an unsettling, fright-filled experience that delivers superior chills without skimping on story.” On Metacritic, the film has a weighted score of 58 out of 100 based on 34 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

Several critics praised the film’s execution and effectiveness. Richard Roeper of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' gave the film a perfect score of four out of four stars, stating, “Even the most cynical, jaded, seen-it-all-before critic cannot deny certain visceral reactions to a film. ''Lights Out'' gave me the chills.” Lucy O'Brien of ''IGN'' rated it 7/10, calling it “a debut director Sandberg should be proud of,” despite a “clunky script” that occasionally disrupts its tension. Justin Lowe of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' described it as “a surprisingly maternal horror movie” that combines “supernatural suspense” with themes of emotional fragility. Jeannette Catsoulis of ''The New York Times'' wrote that the film “delivers minimalist frights in old-school ways,” crediting its strong performances and tight editing.

Conversely, some critics expressed disappointment with the film. James Berardinelli of ''ReelViews'' awarded the film two stars out of four, citing “an overreliance on traditional horror movie clichés” and criticizing its thinly drawn characters and excessive backstory. Rex Reed of ''The New York Observer'' gave the film one star out of four, writing that while the film introduces inventive ways of generating light-based tension, “the fun wears out fast and so does the ‘gotcha’ factor.”

Accolades

Sequel

In July 2016, shortly after the film's release, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures announced that a sequel to ''Lights Out'' had been greenlit. Eric Heisserer was confirmed to return as screenwriter, with David F. Sandberg set to direct once again. James Wan and Lawrence Grey were attached as producers under their respective banners, Atomic Monster and Grey Matter Productions.

As of 2024, no further updates regarding the sequel’s development have been released.

See also

* List of ghost films

References

External links

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{{David F. Sandberg

2016 films
2016 horror films
American remakes of Swedish films
American supernatural horror films
Features based on short films
Atomic Monster films
Horror film remakes
New Line Cinema films
Dune Entertainment films
American ghost films
Films directed by David F. Sandberg
Films with screenplays by Eric Heisserer
Films produced by James Wan
Films scored by Benjamin Wallfisch
Warner Bros. films
2010s supernatural horror films
2010s ghost films
2016 directorial debut films
2010s English-language films
2010s American films