Darkness Falls (2003)

I love a movie that is focused on a local legend, even when it comes across as a slightly altered story of Freddy Kruger's beginnings. "Darkness Falls" takes the time to set up the legend about a nice elderly woman who gave the local children gifts and coins when they lost their teeth; she was like a real life tooth fairy. She is burned badly in a house fire and now that she's terrifying to look at, the parents become suspicious of her for no real good reason. And when two kids disappear, the town's parents turn on her, thinking that she kidnapped them. The parents hang the poor old woman, exposing her burnt face to the open air. She curses them for their actions and comes back as a ghost that kills anyone who sees her. Great set up but after this the movie falls flat into a typical run-and-hide from the monster movie. I can appreciate that it's about a young man who survived his first encounter with the Tooth Fairy while his mother died, and years later he returns to help his childhood crush with a problem concerning her little brother. Nice story set up but the resulting film doesn't present anything new. It's fun to watch the first time through but it lacks any replay value.