Death hangs above the family farm like a dark cloud. Not just because the pater familias is wasting away inside, inching closer to the hereafter with every rattling breath: Soon after his children arrive in the tenebrous house, they are plagued by eerie visions, while the priest is not the only one who suspects that evil has crept into the farm. Bryan Bertino’s stylistically stunning films always revolve around a deceptively simple departure point, but there’s an ominous core quivering underneath. The Dark and the Wicked is a rural gothic naturally lit in elegance and perfection, carried by a fine ensemble, and casting a long shadow.