It Comes at Night (2017)

This was beautifully created and a suspenseful setting but was deeply lacking in storyline. So little actually occurred that I was already confused 40 mins in. If it weren't for Joel Edgerton I would have shut this down 1/3 of the way in. It was confusing, incongruent and frankly a little boring. I patiently waited though and saw it through. Alas the climax was so disappointing I was in shock... and it didn't even happen at night!!! What the hell was coming at night??? Nothing came... even during the day. Not cool... not a horror film, barely a thriller, just a shame.

Fmovies: There's a lot of discussion on here as to whether this film constitutes a horror film or something more akin to a psychological drama.

As a horror film, I didn't find the film scary, and as a psychological drama, not particularly fresh in what it was presenting. I consider 'The Road' as a much, much stronger example of a film that blends horror and psychological drama - in exploring the limits of humanity & family in an apocalyptic setting.

It's nonetheless a well-made film with fine performances, but I came into the film expecting...something great, which it wasn't. That's hype for you.

Inside the mind it is dark. You imagine it is safe. You take refuge there. Outside of the mind is the world. The world is sick, dangerous.

You have a door between the two. You keep it locked. You have a protocol for the door to keep what is out, out. The people you trust, that you let inside, you expect them to keep to the protocol as well.

But at night something comes the door can't defend against. At night the dreams come, because the dreams live inside, with you. Dreams of doubt and fear. It's at night when the door is most necessary... and most likely to be compromised.

"It Comes at Night" shrugs off traditional horror beats and embraces the extended discourse of a nightmare, the inky blacks lit only by a hand-held lantern, the invisible contagions that we can't keep out no matter how hard we try, the way a fire we must light attracts things that might do us harm.

It's "Night of the Living Dead" without zombies. It's "The Thing" without a monster. It's the distrust we have of everything outside, even the outsiders that are inside. It's the long narrow dark hallway to a door that's supposed to be locked, must be locked, but isn't.

And it's one of the very best horror films of the year so far. A year that has already been a landmark one for progressive, humanist, and existential horror.

And yes, it is a horror film, no matter what others may tell you.

It Comes at Night fmovies. I am a fan of post-apocalyptic movies and for the first 20 minutes this film shows promise, good visuals and mood. But then it crawls repeating the same shots and mild shocks until after the hour mark. At this stage you are left wondering when the real story is going to start. Plot elements are started but then abandoned. A little mystery is a good idea in this genre, it heightens the fear but at some point you need an actual narrative to draw it all together.

The ending did force a climax but it seemed botched somewhat by the director so you are left wondering exactly what happened.

The biggest failing is I didn't feel interested enough in the characters to care enough about them during the attempted resolution.

I understand that the budget would have been small but that is no excuse. The camera work was fine. The frights were well done and the tension was well maintained but it gets boring when repeated. The actors did a good job though some were miscast. It was the writing and direction that let the story down.

For a better example of a post apocalyptic movie with a similar setting look at One Hundred Mornings.

I must confess I was expecting way more of this "horror" film.

It started off quite well (hence the 4 rating) but after the first 30 minutes went downhill. No questions were answered, you are left with a large list of plot holes and an ending that couldn't be more predictable and boring.

Don't get me wrong, it isn't the worst "horror" film I ever saw but is avoidable especially if you like HORROR.

I'm still waiting for what comes at night.