Dark Places
A woman who survived the brutal killing of her family as a child is forced to confront the events of that day.
The film box office disappointment against its mid-range budget of $20.0M, earning $5.1M globally (-75% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its fresh perspective within the thriller genre.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Dark Places (2015) reveals meticulously timed plot construction, characteristic of Gilles Paquet-Brenner's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 53 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Libby Day
Ben Day
Lyle Wirth
Patty Day
Young Libby Day
Young Ben Day
Diondra Wertzner
Runner Day
Main Cast & Characters
Libby Day
Played by Charlize Theron
Sole survivor of her family's massacre who returns to investigate the truth about the night her mother and sisters were murdered.
Ben Day
Played by Corey Stoll
Libby's older brother, convicted of murdering their family as a teenager and imprisoned for 25 years.
Lyle Wirth
Played by Nicholas Hoult
Leader of the Kill Club who recruits Libby to reinvestigate her family's murders for the club's obsessive true crime enthusiasts.
Patty Day
Played by Christina Hendricks
Libby and Ben's mother, a struggling single parent trying to keep the family farm afloat before her murder.
Young Libby Day
Played by Sterling Jerins
Seven-year-old Libby who witnessed the murders and whose testimony convicted her brother Ben.
Young Ben Day
Played by Tye Sheridan
Teenage Ben in flashbacks, a troubled metalhead accused of satanic ritual murder.
Diondra Wertzner
Played by Chloe Grace Moretz
Ben's unstable teenage girlfriend with secrets about the night of the murders.
Runner Day
Played by Sean Bridgers
Libby's father, an absent deadbeat who abandoned the family and becomes a person of interest in the investigation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Adult Libby Day lives a solitary, emotionally stunted existence, surviving on donations from sympathetic strangers who remember her as the sole survivor of the 'Kansas Prairie Massacre' that killed her mother and two sisters when she was seven years old.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Libby attends the Kill Club meeting for money and is confronted by members presenting evidence that her brother Ben may be innocent. The possibility that she sent an innocent man to prison for 28 years shatters her constructed reality.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Libby makes the active choice to visit her brother Ben in prison for the first time in 28 years, committing fully to uncovering the truth regardless of what she might find about herself and her testimony., moving from reaction to action.
At 57 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Libby discovers that her father Runner was at the house the night of the murders and was being hunted by a drug dealer named Calvin Diehl. This false defeat suggests the real killer might be someone entirely unexpected, dramatically expanding the scope of suspects beyond Ben., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 85 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Libby finally learns the devastating truth: her mother Patty arranged her own death to save the family financially, but Diondra murdered her sisters Michelle and Debby. Ben has been protecting Diondra and their daughter Crystal all these years. Libby's entire understanding of her family's tragedy collapses., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 90 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Libby decides to confront Diondra directly and bring her to justice, synthesizing her investigative skills with her newfound courage to face the truth. She tracks Diondra to her home, determined to expose her for the murders., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Dark Places's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Dark Places against these established plot points, we can identify how Gilles Paquet-Brenner utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Dark Places within the thriller genre.
Gilles Paquet-Brenner's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Gilles Paquet-Brenner films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Dark Places takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Gilles Paquet-Brenner filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional thriller films include The Warriors, Thunderball and Rustom. For more Gilles Paquet-Brenner analyses, see Sarah's Key.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Adult Libby Day lives a solitary, emotionally stunted existence, surviving on donations from sympathetic strangers who remember her as the sole survivor of the 'Kansas Prairie Massacre' that killed her mother and two sisters when she was seven years old.
Theme
Lyle Wirth tells Libby that the Kill Club believes her brother Ben might be innocent, stating: "The truth has a way of coming out eventually, whether we want it to or not." This establishes the film's central theme about confronting painful truths for redemption.
Worldbuilding
We see Libby's broken life: she's nearly broke, living off dwindling sympathy donations, estranged from all family including her incarcerated brother Ben whom she testified against. The Kill Club is introduced as an organization of true crime enthusiasts who believe Ben is innocent. Flashbacks establish the poverty-stricken Day family farm in 1985.
Disruption
Libby attends the Kill Club meeting for money and is confronted by members presenting evidence that her brother Ben may be innocent. The possibility that she sent an innocent man to prison for 28 years shatters her constructed reality.
Resistance
Libby debates whether to investigate the past. Lyle Wirth serves as her guide, offering money for her help while pushing her to question her childhood testimony. She begins reluctantly visiting witnesses from the original case and confronts suppressed memories. Flashbacks reveal Ben's troubled teenage years, his relationship with Diondra, and the family's desperate financial situation.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Libby makes the active choice to visit her brother Ben in prison for the first time in 28 years, committing fully to uncovering the truth regardless of what she might find about herself and her testimony.
Mirror World
The 1985 flashback storyline deepens, showing Ben's secret relationship with the manipulative Diondra and his vulnerability as a teenage outcast. This parallel narrative embodies the film's theme of hidden truths and misplaced blame, serving as a mirror to Libby's present-day investigation.
Premise
Libby investigates the past as a amateur detective, interviewing key figures: Runner Day (her deadbeat father), tracking down witnesses, and piecing together the night of the murders. The parallel 1985 storyline reveals Ben's involvement with Diondra, the Satanic panic rumors, and the family's mounting debts. Each revelation chips away at her certainty about what happened.
Midpoint
Libby discovers that her father Runner was at the house the night of the murders and was being hunted by a drug dealer named Calvin Diehl. This false defeat suggests the real killer might be someone entirely unexpected, dramatically expanding the scope of suspects beyond Ben.
Opposition
Libby's investigation intensifies as dangers close in. She tracks down Runner, who reveals he was there that night. She confronts Diondra's dark past and discovers Diondra was pregnant with Ben's child. The 1985 flashbacks reveal the truth: Patty Day arranged her own murder to collect insurance money for her children, hiring Calvin Diehl, but Diondra arrived and committed the actual killings of the sisters.
Collapse
Libby finally learns the devastating truth: her mother Patty arranged her own death to save the family financially, but Diondra murdered her sisters Michelle and Debby. Ben has been protecting Diondra and their daughter Crystal all these years. Libby's entire understanding of her family's tragedy collapses.
Crisis
Libby processes the horror of what she's learned: her mother's sacrifice, her false testimony that imprisoned her innocent brother, and that the real killer has been free for decades. She must decide whether to confront Diondra or let the truth die with her silence.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Libby decides to confront Diondra directly and bring her to justice, synthesizing her investigative skills with her newfound courage to face the truth. She tracks Diondra to her home, determined to expose her for the murders.
Synthesis
Libby confronts Diondra, who attacks her. In the violent struggle, Crystal (Ben and Diondra's daughter) witnesses her mother's true nature. Diondra is killed in the confrontation. The truth emerges fully: Ben is exonerated, and Libby provides testimony to free her brother after 28 years of wrongful imprisonment.
Transformation
Libby visits Ben as a free man, finally reconnecting with her brother. She has transformed from a broken, isolated survivor living in denial to someone capable of facing painful truths and rebuilding family bonds. The final image shows Libby no longer running from her past but embracing the possibility of healing.