SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Celia A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

MartinHafer "Don't think about it...do it or shut up about it"...the words of Abe's co-worker when he talks about killing himself.Back in 1995, Todd Solondz made "Welcome to the Dollhouse". It certainly was not a feel-good film but was incredibly insightful and Solondz showed a deft hand at directing and writing a story about a troubled teen. Because it was so well made, I decided to watch another one of his films, "Dark Horse"...but was really disappointed. Like his previous film, it was incredibly depressing but also presented characters I really didn't care for in the least. Abe is a 30-something loser. He's a fat slob who lives with his parents and he is essentially very much like Comic Book Man from "The Simpsons". At first, your heart hurts for the lonely guy...but through the course of the film you realize he's not worth caring about because he's so self-absorbed and has a sense of entitlement. What ultimately happens to him is really a downer...but not as sad as it could have been because I didn't care...I just wanted it to end.Overall, a disappointing film and I wish I could have that 90 minutes or so of my life back.

tiekbane First I want to make it clear that the reason I disliked this movie is not the subject matter. I like movies about losers and loners and Solondz treated this thoroughly unlikable character with as much dignity as possible. He should be applauded for taking such a risk. I'm not even against the implausibility of the story. Everyone must surrender reality when watching movies. The problem is that it is a poorly made movie. Almost every scene is incomplete. No dialogue to summarize the importance of the scene. Scene after meaningless scene goes by, like looking at pages in a magazine. One scene is even cropped with a character in mid sentence. And a pivotal scene is totally missing: the reason Abe ends up in the hospital. That would have been a very important scene! Then, if you weren't already annoyed with the meandering story, the story goes off into a fantasy. The problem is, the characters in his fantasy are real life characters so you don't know if what you're watching is really happening or the fantasy. Then the movie ends in typical Hollywood fashion, except it seems like Solondz didn't know how to end his movie so he tacked on no less than 4 endings! You will never understand nor care why these characters act the way they do nor understand how the events in the movie changed their lives for the better of worse. By the end of the movie, everybody is sort of just standing around or staring off into space, just like the audience.

Massimiliano Misturelli I almost watched every single Tod Solondz' movie, except "Fear, anxiety and depression". I firmly believe that he's one of the most sincere, provoking and profound movie directors of our time. He dares to tell audiences what life really is. Now "Dark horse" is said to be a dark comedy and it is, in some way. But I feel that in this particular case the comedic side loses space in favor of the tragic one. Darckness, lack of hope reign in this film. Solondz is quite explicit about it, especially in the last toy store scene, when Abe is told the truth about himself. At the end of the movie you see that Abe's life is a wasted one. Check the final scene, when Abe's father and cousin are discussing business details while the secretary is fantasizing about him. Check the cemetery scene where you see that even the date on his tombstone is wrong, like one of the most poignant moments of every man's life was meaningless. There is more: it's like Abe doesn't belong to the world of men where he should to. The only ones who grieve for him are women. But even so the guy is hopeless: he is wiped out the face of the hearth. Those are the reasons why I felt pleasantly disturbed by the film: there is no way out, what little hope shows up is useless. However, there are flaws, mister Solondz: first Selma Blair's performance is somehow dry: she does the right moves, she uses the right tones of voice but she is not very convincing. And there are too much statements: the characters are too explicit about their feelings. I think they should come out with more subtlety like they did in Happiness and Storytelling

David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. Todd Solondz is the master of film uncomfortableness. If you have seen his "Happiness", you won't debate whether that's a real word or not. Mr. Solondz has a way of finding the worst in his characters and then taking it even darker and more negative. And yet, somehow, his latest (and maybe his simplest film to date) could be called a comedy.We are first introduced to Abe (Jordan Gelber) and Miranda (Selma Blair) as they share a table at a wedding, yet somehow aren't remotely together. He is oblivious to her near silent attempts to nicely avoid providing her phone number to him. The film moves quickly to provide proof that Abe is the epitome of arrested development. A mid-thirties something who not only "works" for his dad, but still lives with his parents (Mia Farrow, Christopher Walken)in a bedroom decorated with action figures. It's difficult to look at someone who takes up as much space as Abe and categorize them as a kid, so I believe the better term is "not an adult". He stalks Miranda and doesn't seem to mind/notice that she is a heavily medicated depressed individual who looks at him like he's a circus act.Abe's work environment is no better than his personal life. He brings nothing of value to his dad's company, yet somehow thinks he is always being mistreated. This carries over to his feelings toward his brother Richard (Justin Bartha), who is a doctor. Abe, who dropped out of college, believes the only difference is that Richard was the favorite son and received special privileges. It's very easy to label Abe a "loser", but somehow Solondz manages to maintain our interest with small sparks of hope.The hope quickly fades and Abe's life heads on a fast downward spiral. There are some bizarre fantasy/dream sequences that involve the quiet, much older co-worker Marie (Donna Murphy), and a conversation in the car with his mother and brother that plays like something directly out of a Woody Allen movie (made even creepier with the presence of Mia Farrow).There are some funny moments, but as Mr. Solondz would prefer, the laughs are tainted with guilt. We can't help but wonder why we laugh at a guy for whom we have such little respect ... actually bordering on disgust. I must admit to being pretty tired of Abe by the end of the movie, and couldn't help wondering if it might have been more effective as a short film. Still, the acting was superb, and unfortunately Abe isn't that much of a stretch from someone you probably know in real life. (www.moviereviewsfromthedark.wordpress.com)