Synopsis

Near the end of World War II, two American soldiers flee after facing court-martial for cowardice. Their escape leads them into the winter countryside, where they encounter a group of armed children and their adult guardians. Forced to cooperate when German troops approach, the deserters confront the violence, guilt, and psychological damage they hoped to leave behind.

Factoids & Trivia

• Although set in wartime Europe, the film was shot on location in Romania, using the country's landscapes and historic locations to create its bleak winter atmosphere.

• The production deliberately combines several modes of storytelling. It begins as a conventional war drama, shifts toward horror, and eventually becomes a psychological and anti-war fable.

• Jeff Burr later identified Straight Into Darkness as one of only three films in his career that he considered fully his own, alongside From a Whisper to a Scream and Eddie Presley.

• The film received a U.S. premiere screening at the 2004 South by Southwest festival and was also presented by the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles on May 20, 2004.

• Its home-video release included an approximately hour-long making-of featurette covering the production and its Hollywood premiere.

• Critical reaction was divided, but reviewers frequently noted the film's unusual blend of war-film realism, dreamlike imagery, horror elements, and moral allegory.