When viewed against other movies based on the Holocaust, such as Claude Lanzmann’s sprawling, extraordinary documentary Shoah (1985), Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List (1993) or Roman Polanski’s The Pianist (2002), In Darkness isn’t without flaw. But then again, the story it has to tell is so remarkable that it’s not difficult to see why it gained attention at this year’s Academy Awards. Although Socha’s involvement is purely financial at first – and he certainly makes no secret of his antisemitism – his regular trips to the Jews’ hiding place with food and supplies over a period of months gradually change his sympathies. And with the life of Socha and his family also on the line, he’s just as invested in their survival as his own. The unfolding story takes place over a 14-month period, as Socha struggles to keep his sympathies a secret from the Nazis and his old friend Bortnik, a Ukrainian officer who’s well aware that Jews are hiding somewhere in the town’s underground network. It’s a story full of danger and dramatic possibilities, and director Agnieszka Holland brings real tension to certain scenes – the Jews’ initial descent into the sewers, as the Nazis ransack the ghetto around them, is a particular standout. Both Holland and screenwriter David F Shamoon (adapting Robert Marshall’s book, In The Sewers Of Lvov) should be commended, too, for creating a group of believably flawed, sometimes selfish characters, rather than mere innocent victims. Having said this, some of the acting really does cut through the murk. Wickiewicz provides a robust lead performance, as does Kinga Preis, who plays his wife Wanda. The most impressive turn, however, comes from German actor Benno Furmann. Looking for all the world like a late-60s era Paul Newman, he exudes extraordinary charisma – it’s a pity, in fact, that his character isn’t given as much to do as the one Wickiewicz inhabits. With any luck, the attention of In Darkness will provide Furmann with some meatier roles in the future. With such great performances and sporadically nail-biting moments, it’s a pity, then, that long stretches of In Darkness are such a slog. The quieter moments of familial drama and squabbling among dank, rat-infested sewers are absorbing at first – because, let’s face it, to try to live in such a place for more than a few hours would be unimaginably horrible for even the most stoic survivalist – but the repetition of these scenes, and their sheer length, sadly undercuts the power of the underlying story. Follow Den Of Geek on Twitter right here. And be our Facebook chum here.