Written by: Kevin Berge
Turns out even the nicest dinner scenes look off in barely any light. (Image Courtesy of: rogerebert.com)
Quick Take: It Comes At Night creates an uncomfortably paranoid atmosphere that never lets up with a tale that relies upon that atmosphere to creates its horror more than any real threat. While a psychological horror with little natural horror, it is a brilliantly shot and orchestrated film that uses every darkened frame masterfully.
***This review will focus on It Comes At Night's themes and focus rather than story moments; however, it is such an odd film that discussing could influence the way you see the movie. Those who have not seen the film can read ahead at their own risk.***
2017 might end up being remembered as the year of false marketing particularly in the frequent attempt to portray drama as horror with mother! the clear headliner but It Comes at Night as a close second. I get it with It Comes at Night though as it is a very difficult film to discuss without spoiling its contents.
This is a dark and often foreboding film, set in a mysterious world that is never simply explained. While calling it horror would be an overstatement, it is consistently a movie on edge that uses a lack of electricity to its advantage to make everything uncomfortably and overwhelmingly shadowed.
The story set-up is fairly straightforward though it lends itself little to actually understanding the movie. Paul (Joel Edgerton) lives with his wife Sarah (Carmen Ejogo) and son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) when a man, Will (Christopher Abott), appears and asks for asylum for his wife Kim (Riley Keough) and son Andrew (Griffin Faulkner).
The meat of the story is spent in the house where these two families live. They barely know each other, but they seem to get along well even as Paul continually tells Travis not to wholly trust anyone but family. There's no real reason to ever question them beyond the constant reminder that anyone in this world can become sick.
That unexplained sickness is just one of many ways the movie creates a constant sense of unease. The characters cannot trust each other and are forced to take sides in sudden conflicts that emerge from pure fear. In this way, the movie is not quite about making the viewer scared but rather feel the fear of the characters.
This story does not strictly have one monster. The disease, the people, the environment, the threat of outsiders: each aspect is part of the endless intoxicating nightmare that is most clearly represented in Travis's dreams, the most clear horror moments of the tale.
2017 might end up being remembered as the year of false marketing particularly in the frequent attempt to portray drama as horror with mother! the clear headliner but It Comes at Night as a close second. I get it with It Comes at Night though as it is a very difficult film to discuss without spoiling its contents.
This is a dark and often foreboding film, set in a mysterious world that is never simply explained. While calling it horror would be an overstatement, it is consistently a movie on edge that uses a lack of electricity to its advantage to make everything uncomfortably and overwhelmingly shadowed.
The story set-up is fairly straightforward though it lends itself little to actually understanding the movie. Paul (Joel Edgerton) lives with his wife Sarah (Carmen Ejogo) and son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) when a man, Will (Christopher Abott), appears and asks for asylum for his wife Kim (Riley Keough) and son Andrew (Griffin Faulkner).
The meat of the story is spent in the house where these two families live. They barely know each other, but they seem to get along well even as Paul continually tells Travis not to wholly trust anyone but family. There's no real reason to ever question them beyond the constant reminder that anyone in this world can become sick.
That unexplained sickness is just one of many ways the movie creates a constant sense of unease. The characters cannot trust each other and are forced to take sides in sudden conflicts that emerge from pure fear. In this way, the movie is not quite about making the viewer scared but rather feel the fear of the characters.
This story does not strictly have one monster. The disease, the people, the environment, the threat of outsiders: each aspect is part of the endless intoxicating nightmare that is most clearly represented in Travis's dreams, the most clear horror moments of the tale.
At the end of the world, I guess greetings get a bit more kinky. (Image Courtesy of: theplaylist.net)
This movie reminds me quite a bit of The Witch. It is very much a character study, using its eerie dissonant soundtrack from Brian McOmber (Ugly) to frame a psychological descent into horror. This movie also relies upon its claustrophobic environment to dominate the mood more than any one clear threat.
This is the type of horror I enjoy most, and there is an argument to be made it is not horror at all. What is left unseen in this film is the most frightening part of the movie, and the emptiness of its dread can be hard to take. It is a masterful use of environment and technique.
Director Trey Edward Shults (Krisha) alongside cinematographer Drew Daniels showcase a mastery of the camera that is beyond anything you would expect of such newcomers to the medium. The way this movie frames even the most empty of shots keeps the edge of the story.
This movie does have one major flaw that lines up with its marketing. It creates an expectation that is never satisfied. It creates such a clear sense of paranoia that it becomes intoxicating, and it can be easy to believe that the movie is going to morph into something more horrific than what comes.
This didn't hurt my own viewing experience, but I know it has caused the movie to be extremely divisive. This will be far from a movie for everyone, and it is noticeably unsatisfying by its close. However, this does not affect its quality as much as it makes it less universal an experience.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. (The Birth of a Nation) is quietly the star of this movie and is absolutely brilliant, portraying the true confusion and dread that is haunting him and making it difficult for him to sleep. Joel Edgerton (Warrior) has always been excellent, so it is unsurprising he is great here though the rest of the small cast are equally compelling.
From the moment I heard about It Comes at Night and even followed the reactions to it, I knew I would love it. Even understanding it is not for everyone, I cannot downgrade it much because it is a perfect blend of atmosphere and theme that sells a frightening story that is all too human.
This is the type of horror I enjoy most, and there is an argument to be made it is not horror at all. What is left unseen in this film is the most frightening part of the movie, and the emptiness of its dread can be hard to take. It is a masterful use of environment and technique.
Director Trey Edward Shults (Krisha) alongside cinematographer Drew Daniels showcase a mastery of the camera that is beyond anything you would expect of such newcomers to the medium. The way this movie frames even the most empty of shots keeps the edge of the story.
This movie does have one major flaw that lines up with its marketing. It creates an expectation that is never satisfied. It creates such a clear sense of paranoia that it becomes intoxicating, and it can be easy to believe that the movie is going to morph into something more horrific than what comes.
This didn't hurt my own viewing experience, but I know it has caused the movie to be extremely divisive. This will be far from a movie for everyone, and it is noticeably unsatisfying by its close. However, this does not affect its quality as much as it makes it less universal an experience.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. (The Birth of a Nation) is quietly the star of this movie and is absolutely brilliant, portraying the true confusion and dread that is haunting him and making it difficult for him to sleep. Joel Edgerton (Warrior) has always been excellent, so it is unsurprising he is great here though the rest of the small cast are equally compelling.
From the moment I heard about It Comes at Night and even followed the reactions to it, I knew I would love it. Even understanding it is not for everyone, I cannot downgrade it much because it is a perfect blend of atmosphere and theme that sells a frightening story that is all too human.