The Dark is a new six-part gothic crime drama on ITV1 and ITVX, adapted from Scottish crime writer G. R. Halliday’s From the Shadows. The series begins with a staged, unsettling scene: an unseen man punches holes in leather straps before walking across the Highlands with a naked man’s body over his shoulder, suggesting the victim is either unconscious or dead. Investigators later find the body laid out supine on the ground, with arms raised in a prayer-like position, adding to the atmosphere of dread and intrigue.
DI Monica Kennedy, played by Laura Donnelly, is called in to investigate, and the narrative develops through a mix of ominous, stylised visuals and a growing sense of uncertainty around the killings. Across the episodes, the story leans into moody Highlands settings, low light, and a gothic tone to build tension and suspense. Sources characterize the show as chilling and stylish, using the region’s darkness and dreich weather as part of its suspenseful mood.
