It Comes at Night

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.

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.

It takes a lot for me to dislike a film. It has to be a complete and utter waste of my time, and even then it could still have some redeeming values. Its hard to label It Comes at Night. On one hand, its a slow paced descent into the deepest throes of the human psyche, and on the other hand it is an utterly depressing and hopeless look at humanity.

I tend to lean on the latter part of my assessment, mainly because there is just so much reality to this parable about a world ravaged by a deadly virus (yeesh, imagine if this came out in 2020). More than anything, this film pretty much predicted what could happen if a disease truly did start randomly killing people with no quarter. Society would turn on itself, and it would become a battle of the fittest and prepared, and in some cases, best armed. I don't fault anyone for not liking this film. It's a hard slog and a depressing one at that. I appreciate the fact the film didn't try to sugarcoat anything. I truly believe humanity would turn on each other in a similar way.

Is the movie well made? Sure, I had no problems with the pacing or the reality of the story. Beyond that, there is not much else to say about this film. It's a simple survival story and every person's opinion of it hinges on whether they believe humanity is ultimately selfish (much like myself) or you were looking for a standard horror/thriller that would try holding a mirror up and asking what you would do in that situation.

What a letdown. I can't say it was a huge letdown because that would imply that I expected it to be great, but it is a let down which means I expected it to be decent.

The movie starts with a family burying the grandfather who'd succumbed to an illness. Judging by how the family made sure to wear masks to do the job they were afraid of this illness and wanted to take every precaution. This contagion tale focuses solely on this family but then broadens its focus to include another family. It's a strange dynamic because two families are trying to coexist in a post-apocalyptic era in which distrust is far more common than trust.

That's the setup. Where do they take it from there? I'll answer that. Nowhere. This movie goes no-where. It was a total farce, a total bait and switch. Scary movies in general are pretty lousy (although I keep coming back) but at least most of them have a definite aim, a definite goal. This seemed to be aimless and goal-less. I waited for something to materialize that I could sink my teeth into. Even if it tasted bitter or sour at least it would be something of substance. This movie had no substance just appetizer after appetizer to keep you seated. In the end this movie offered nothing but a grand dead end.

Good grief, is this the feel-bad movie of the year or what?

A family of survivalists have holed themselves up in an isolated house in the wake of some biological incident, the details of which are left vague, but which has resulted in a virus that kills anyone who contracts it. When another survivor with a family stumbles upon them, they must then decide whether or not to turn their backs or extend a helping hand. It's a parable that examines where the instinct to protect oneself and those he loves ends and the impulse for basic human decency begins.

I guess I'd have to say that "It Comes at Night" was effectively done, because it left me feeling absolutely awful, and I had trouble shaking it. But I would also have trouble shaking the image of someone getting run over by a car -- no one would have to present it artistically for it to get to me. The final moments of "It Comes at Night" go places few movies dare to go, but it might make a viewer have to decide whether it's dramatically satisfying or cheaply manipulative.

Grade: C