Kot In De Nacht (Dead of Night) has a very interesting premise, a young woman is in her bathroom, ready to take a bath when suddenly she notices something strange in her mirror, unsure if it's her imagination running wild or an actual demonic creature standing in the background, she soon finds out the truth.
With such a scary concept, a demonic creature hiding inside a mirror, you would think that the short film would be an eerie and unsettling horror as you watch a nightmare unfolding before your very eyes, but it isn't really. The movie feels flat on the scare factor as it doesn't deliver any tension or atmosphere at all, it doesn't mess with your head or get under your skin, it doesn't play on our fear of something staring back at us through the surface of a mirror. It just feels like it's going through the motions and being as safe and commercial as it can be to appeal to mainstream audiences who watch films like "Paranormal Activity" or "The Conjuring". You can tell exactly what's going to happen a mile away before the inevitable final scene is even shown. The finale is so telegraphed and so predictable that it's obvious that the demon is going to jump out and make a loud sudden noise, and while the demon jumping out the mirror is done well enough as a jump scare to give the audience a quick startle for those who are easily startled, it's not frightening in the long run, there's no lasting effect to creep you out once you are alone to dwell on it.
The film is not fully without any merit. It is shot well, the director knows how to point the camera, create a set piece, and execute it. It has a nice use of lighting to give it that Halloween season feel to it. The lack of dialogue and the wide eyed acting from the lead actress gives the short film an old silent horror movie feel to it. The design and make-up for the demon is effective looking and is not overused, it is shot well for the build up and the payoff with the jump scare.
Overall, Kot In De Nacht (Dead of Night) is not a short film that's going to scare you or leave a lasting impression long after you've watched it. You won't be afraid to go near a mirror again, nor will you be seeing it in your dreams or having it lurk in your thoughts when you are in bed with the lights off. Director David Van De Wayer has made a movie which is light on any real scares, and instead created a mainstream style horror which will appeal to the masses.
With such a scary concept, a demonic creature hiding inside a mirror, you would think that the short film would be an eerie and unsettling horror as you watch a nightmare unfolding before your very eyes, but it isn't really. The movie feels flat on the scare factor as it doesn't deliver any tension or atmosphere at all, it doesn't mess with your head or get under your skin, it doesn't play on our fear of something staring back at us through the surface of a mirror. It just feels like it's going through the motions and being as safe and commercial as it can be to appeal to mainstream audiences who watch films like "Paranormal Activity" or "The Conjuring". You can tell exactly what's going to happen a mile away before the inevitable final scene is even shown. The finale is so telegraphed and so predictable that it's obvious that the demon is going to jump out and make a loud sudden noise, and while the demon jumping out the mirror is done well enough as a jump scare to give the audience a quick startle for those who are easily startled, it's not frightening in the long run, there's no lasting effect to creep you out once you are alone to dwell on it.
The film is not fully without any merit. It is shot well, the director knows how to point the camera, create a set piece, and execute it. It has a nice use of lighting to give it that Halloween season feel to it. The lack of dialogue and the wide eyed acting from the lead actress gives the short film an old silent horror movie feel to it. The design and make-up for the demon is effective looking and is not overused, it is shot well for the build up and the payoff with the jump scare.
Overall, Kot In De Nacht (Dead of Night) is not a short film that's going to scare you or leave a lasting impression long after you've watched it. You won't be afraid to go near a mirror again, nor will you be seeing it in your dreams or having it lurk in your thoughts when you are in bed with the lights off. Director David Van De Wayer has made a movie which is light on any real scares, and instead created a mainstream style horror which will appeal to the masses.