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Brendan Fraser might’ve shaped the enduring legacy of “The Mummy,” but the talented actor has delivered plenty of other performances you need to revisit, ranging from his memorable turn as David Gold in “Twilight of the Golds” to his committed physical comedy in the so-bad-it’s-bad, turn-your-brain-off flick, “Encino Man.” But a certain psychological horror film starring Fraser, Ashley Judd, and Viggo Mortensen is so strange that the experience is not unlike a fever dream. I’m talking about Philip Ridley’s “The Passion of Darkly Noon,” which is best enjoyed with no expectations set before watching. This isn’t a flaw, per se; the film finds ways to surprise us with its commitment to exposing the most lurid corners of reality. Those familiar with Ridley’s work might notice tonal overlaps with his 1990 coming-of-age horror movie “The Reflecting Skin,” which takes a surrealist (and bleakly comic) look at the life of a young boy.
“The Passion of Darkly Noon” follows the title character (Fraser) as he wanders into a forest in the Appalachian region of North Carolina after a violent event dissolves his conservative Christian cult. With his parents dead, Darkly isn’t able to make sense of his current predicament, and collapses on a dirt road after being overcome with exhaustion. He’s rescued by Jude (Loren Dean) and looked after by Jude’s friend, Callie (Judd), who nurses Darkly back to health. What follows is a tense, atmospheric tale about guilt and inner turmoil, with Darkly wrestling with his religious upbringing and the budding emotions he feels for Callie. The presence of Callie’s mute lover, Clay (Mortensen), intensifies Darkly’s agony.
Ridley supports this grounded premise with quiet, impactful exchanges spoken in hushed tones. But when things escalate, they spiral out of control. So what makes “The Passion of Darkly Noon” so special?
Brendan Fraser is a force of nature in The Passion of Darkly Noon
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Fraser has always been a capable actor. Roger Ebert praised Fraser’s performance in the forgotten political thriller “The Quiet American,” for example, another star-studded affair. Judd and Mortensen are similarly great in Ridley’s film, but Fraser is deeply compelling as the traumatized Darkly Noon, whose romantic feelings turn dark and tempestuous due to his fragile mental state. It’s also worth noting that Fraser wasn’t usually associated with such intense roles at the time, as he mostly went for charming leads or fish-out-of-water characters. Darkly isn’t just a troubled man — the foundation of his worldviews is warped by institutional abuse, and this is reflected in his escalating psychosexual anguish.
Then there’s Ridley’s knack for injecting the abstract into the pragmatic. At one point, Callie takes Darkly to a forest cave lined with protruding mineral deposits, meant to represent the dark recesses of Darkly’s mind. This ancient cave is one of the few structures we see outside of the house and the barn, but all of these landscapes haunt us as the story progresses. Darkly’s arc also gets bleaker, making it clear that it’s difficult to judge his actions through the lens of traditional morality when he’s both abuser and victim.
So, if you’re partial to a Southern Gothic setting that veers into several bizarre directions, “The Passion of Darkly Noon” is for you. There’s no better time to watch this underrated Fraser flick, as it is currently streaming on Prime Video.