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The 5 Scariest Moments in Netflix’s “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance”
This article contains spoilers.
“He didn’t think it was healthy for children to always feel safe,” Dark Crystal co-director Frank Oz once said of Jim Henson, whose vision for the 1982 film was to “get back to the darkness of the original Grimm’s fairy tales.” Oz explained, “He thought it was fine to scare children,” and so Henson conjured up a tale of murderous monsters and a world ravaged by their evil.
Henson believed that fear was a healthy emotion for children to experience, and Netflix’s epic new series “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” was clearly made by people who feel the same. Honoring Henson’s vision for The Dark Crystal, the prequel isn’t afraid to get gross, upsetting, dark and scary, chronicling an epic war between the Skeksis and the seven disparate clans of Gelfling that kicks off with the realization that the seemingly benevolent leaders of Thra are actually as downright evil as they look. We, of course, already know this going in.
But just how terrifying does the series get? Let’s take a look at its 5 scariest moments!
[Related] The Unexpectedly Disturbing Origin Story of the Garthim in “Age of Resistance”
“Give the crystal your fear.”
The catalyst for the war at the center of “Age of Resistance” is the murder of a Gelfling named Mira, the girlfriend to main character Rian. After being kidnapped by the Skeksis in episode one, Mira becomes the first guinea pig for a horrifically cruel experiment that uses the power of the Crystal to literally pull out the essence of Gelfling test subjects. Mira is forced to stare directly into the Crystal, plugged into a crude machine that sucks out her essence; that extracted essence is then consumed by the Skeksis, restoring their health and ensuring their immortality.
Rian watches on in horror as the love of his life has her very essence drained deep in the bowels of the Skeksis lair, her body completely evaporating in the process. It’s a horrifying reminder of just how monstrous the Skeksis really are, presenting themselves as the protectors of Thra in public but literally consuming the souls of Gelflings behind closed doors.
The Peeper Beetle
The second episode shows us how the Skeksis deal with punishing their own, and it’s the Scientist (voiced by Mark Hamill) who draws the extreme ire of the Emperor when he’s blamed for allowing Rian to escape their grasp with the vial of Mira’s essence. “The Scientist’s errors require a permanent discipline,” the Emperor announces, and in comes the Peeper Beetle.
The Scientist is strapped to a chair and a cage is put onto his head, which the Peeper is fed into. As it turns out, the beetle has been starved by the Skeksis and it has a particular taste for soft meats, crawling about the Scientist’s head before munching down into its desired meal: his eyeball. It’s the “Not the bees!” scene from Wicker Man, only 10x more horrifying.
The Pit of Gobbles
And you thought quicksand was terrifying…
On their journey together, Deet and Hup encounter a patch of “Gobbles” in episode four, an undulating sea of man-eating piranha plants that quickly consume anything that dares step foot into their territory. Hup saves Deet from being eaten alive by the Gobbles, and the scene sets the stage for a later sequence in the episode where Rian’s father isn’t so lucky.
The most terrifying of all the Skeksis introduced in “Age of Resistance” is the Hunter, a deadly warrior who wears a mask made of bone and takes totems from each of his victims. The Hunter is sent out to remove Rian from the equation altogether, and the two do battle dangerously close to the chomping Gobbles. Ultimately, Rian’s father joins the fight and sacrifices himself to save Rian, pushing the Hunter into the Gobbles pit. The two are pulled down into the pit, but while Rian’s father is consumed, the Hunter makes it out alive.
More on him and his death-defying abilities in a minute.
The Threaders Take Over
On the road to war with the Gelflings, the Skeksis enlist the help of the spider creatures known as the Arathim, who come along with their own army of mini creatures named Threaders. Together they make up “the Ascendancy,” with the power of mind control at their fingertips. And that power is on absolutely nightmarish display in the show’s seventh episode.
The Skeksis and Arathim pay a visit to the Stonewood Clan, but their goal isn’t to wipe the clan out. Rather, they’ve come to recruit them as unwilling soldiers for their army. Princess Tavra, already under control of the Ascendancy, leads the charge, approaching the Stonewood and opening up her robe to unleash hundreds of Threaders upon the clan. What results is a creepy nighttime attack sequence ripped straight out of the nightmares of anyone who’s afraid of spiders. They attach themselves to the faces of the Stonewood, taking over their minds.
“I am the Ascendancy,” the new slaves hauntingly speak in unison.
The Hunter Comes Back from the Dead
As mentioned, the most imposing Skeksis in “Age of Resistance” is skekMal, the Hunter. He’s more agile and significantly more deadly than the other Skeksis, so much so that even they seem to fear what he’s capable of. After the fight with Rian and his father, the Hunter kidnaps Brea but suffers near fatal injuries at the hands of his Mystic counterpart in the process. Shortly after returning to the Castle of the Crystal, skekMal appears to die. And the attempt from the other Skeksis to bring him back using Aughra’s essence seemingly does not work.
As a tribute, the Skeksis hang up the Hunter’s dead body in the Castle, suspending it in the air like a massive puppet. But skekMal isn’t really dead, we soon realize. While the Scientist is reprimanding a group of Podlings in the season’s final episode, the Hunter roars back to life, thrashing around in his constraints and scaring the Scientist half to death.
It’s a scene straight out of a horror movie, with the monster supernaturally coming back from the dead. If “Age of Resistance” has its own Jason Voorhees, it’s damn sure skekMal.
Fun Fact: skekMal was voiced by The Witch star Ralph Ineson!
Are there any other moments from “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” that you think will be nightmare fuel for the kids of today? Comment below and feel free to add to our list.
New month, new horror recommendations from Deep Cuts Rising. This installment features one random pick as well as four selections reflecting the month of May 2024.
Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.
This month’s offerings include a self-loathing serial killer, a violinist’s murderous ghost, and a postmodern vamp flick.
Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973)
Pictured: Ted Bessell and Sian Barbara Allen in Scream, Pretty Peggy.
Directed by Gordon Hessler.
The TV-movie Scream, Pretty Peggy first aired as part of ABC Movie of the Week. Bette Davis plays the mother of a reclusive sculptor (Ted Bessell), and after the previous housekeeper goes missing, a local college student (Sian Barbara Allen) fills the position. Little does she know, though, the young employee’s predecessor was murdered — and the killer is still on the loose.
Admittedly, Scream, Pretty Peggy isn’t difficult to figure out; its inspiration is obvious. However, Bette Davis’ overstated performance and the son character’s macabre artwork are enough to stay tuned and learn who’s behind the killings.
Scream, Pretty Peggy is now available on physical media from Kino Lorber. Perhaps watch the movie with your own mother this Mother’s Day (May 12).
Paganini Horror (1989)
Pictured: The ghostly killer in Paganini Horror.
Directed by Luigi Cozzi.
For National Buy a Musical Instrument Day (May 22), check out this absurd Italian entry in the subgenre of cursed music horror. A rock band unleashes hell when they unknowingly use a satanic piece of music composed by Niccolò Paganini, the violinist who was rumored to have made a Faustian deal.
Even though Paganini Horror is hardly deemed a standout of Italian Horror, and the movie indeed drags itself toward the finish line, there are some bright spots worth focusing on. For instance: Donald Pleasence. If that’s not enough, the very ’80s aesthetic helps gloss over the flaws in Daria Nicolodi‘s uneven script.
Paganini Horror is now on physical media from Severin Films and is also streaming on SCREAMBOX.
Nadja (1994)
Pictured: Suzy Amis Cameron and Karl Geary in Nadja.
Directed by Michael Almereyda.
These vampires may or may not cast a reflection, but they sure do love to reflect. David Lynch executive-produced as well as briefly appeared in the film, which Roger Ebert succinctly described as “Deadpan Noir” in his review. This tale of revenge and philosophical pondering begins with the vampiric namesake (Suzy Amis Cameron) seducing the daughter (Galaxy Craze) of Van Helsing after he killed Nadja’s father, Dracula. From there a war erupts between the two sides, all while taking place in modern NYC.
Nadja is quite slow but also just strange, stylish and creative enough to keep your attention. In addition, the trip hop soundtrack is easy on the ears, and Peter Fonda plays a memorable Van Helsing. Overall, this is a unique and artsy approach to vampire horror.
Nadja is now streaming on Freevee.
The Bone Snatcher (2003)
Pictured: Scott Bairstow, Warrick Grier and Rachel Shelley in ‘The Bone Snatcher’.
Directed by Jason Wulfsohn.
For National Sunscreen Day (May 27), dig up the monster movie The Bone Snatcher. It will take more than a high SPF to protect the sunburned characters here; they are stuck in a South African desert with a bizarre monster called the Esikhulu.
The best things about The Bone Snatcher are its setting and the creature. This beast, which is brought to life on screen using a combination of practical and digital effects, sports a ghastly design to go with its unnerving ability to animate skeletons. Something else this movie has going for it is a refusal to show the monster too often; that way there is less chance of becoming desensitized to the Esikhulu. Ultimately, this has nothing on John Carpenter’s The Thing, however, those more forgiving fans of Syfy-ish creature-features should be satisfied.
The Bone Snatcher is currently streaming on Tubi.
#1 Serial Killer (2013)
Pictured: Jason Tobin in #1 Serial Killer.
Directed by Stanley Yung.
May is AAPIM, and the subversive #1 Serial Killer (originally titled Chink) is relevant when discussing the “Invisible Asian” notion. Acknowledging the irony, Stanley Yung’s movie has gone widely unnoticed despite its potent take on race and identity.
Jason Tobin (Warrior) delivers a compelling performance as the vile protagonist here. The self-hating, Ted Bundy-admiring character discriminates against other Asians after years of mistreatment and disregard, and that growing rage finally manifests as cathartic violence.
#1 Serial Killer is currently available at digital retailers like Apple.
No genre is as prolific as horror, so it’s understandable that movies fall through the cracks all the time. That is where this recurring column, Deep Cuts Rising, comes in. Each installment of this series will spotlight several unsung or obscure movies from the past — some from way back when, and others from not so long ago — that could use more attention.
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