It Comes At Night tells the story of a family who is desperately seeking refuge from an unknown entity only to stumble across a family who takes them in but soon discover that their fear and paranoia may get the best of them all. Ever since this premiered at the Overlook Film festival, this has been on every horror fan's list of films to see, including my own. After finally getting to see the final product, I was left riddled with confusion and anger over the film but I couldn't hate it.
First off, anyone who is a fan of slow burn horror will probably like this film immensely. Even though the film is 97 minutes, it moves at a snail's pace sometimes. Director Trey Edwards Shultz proves that Krisha was not a fluke here but he also proves that storytelling is still a bit of a weak point. It Comes At Night suffers from the same things that Krisha did. It has a weak and thin script but a strong enough idea in it to float it. Despite this, Shultz does a great job with his cast. Much like Krisha, had any other cast been chosen, I doubt this film would be half as good as it is.
The film's cast is extremely strong and small enough so that you actually care about these characters which is hard to find in horror. Starring Joel Edgerton, Riley Keough, Chris Abbott, Carmen Ejogo and Kelvin Harrison, Jr., the film is electrified through these actors and you can absolutely tell. The story is paper thin but mysterious enough to keep a mild interest. When you combine that with this cast, you have a decent enough horror film that is slightly above your average Netflix fare.
Overall, It Comes At Night was a bit of a disappointment considering the hype it has. The final product is muddled and confusing but still well acted nonetheless. Joel Edgerton leads a fine cast that gives us some truly terrifying performances which elevates the very thin plot. If you are a fan of slow burn horror films like last year's The Witch, then you might enjoy this one.
First off, anyone who is a fan of slow burn horror will probably like this film immensely. Even though the film is 97 minutes, it moves at a snail's pace sometimes. Director Trey Edwards Shultz proves that Krisha was not a fluke here but he also proves that storytelling is still a bit of a weak point. It Comes At Night suffers from the same things that Krisha did. It has a weak and thin script but a strong enough idea in it to float it. Despite this, Shultz does a great job with his cast. Much like Krisha, had any other cast been chosen, I doubt this film would be half as good as it is.
The film's cast is extremely strong and small enough so that you actually care about these characters which is hard to find in horror. Starring Joel Edgerton, Riley Keough, Chris Abbott, Carmen Ejogo and Kelvin Harrison, Jr., the film is electrified through these actors and you can absolutely tell. The story is paper thin but mysterious enough to keep a mild interest. When you combine that with this cast, you have a decent enough horror film that is slightly above your average Netflix fare.
Overall, It Comes At Night was a bit of a disappointment considering the hype it has. The final product is muddled and confusing but still well acted nonetheless. Joel Edgerton leads a fine cast that gives us some truly terrifying performances which elevates the very thin plot. If you are a fan of slow burn horror films like last year's The Witch, then you might enjoy this one.