It Comes at Night

I've come to really enjoy indie films over the past couple years, and one of my favorite studios has become A24. 

They're responsible for a lot of good, original material that comes encapsulated in thoughtful, entertaining movies. 

It Comes at Night looked to be one of those films, thanks to the advertising. Dubbed "the scariest movie of 2017", the trailers were intense, well-made snippets of what audiences could expect from the film. 

They were also pretty much the entirety of "scary things" in the movie. 

Just like I'd like to think I don't give superhero/big-budget spectacles a free pass (ok, maybe sometimes I do), I won't give them to indies either and I think It Comes at Night is turning into a bit of an overblown "event" (at least among movie-going circles it would seem). 

It's a technically very well made film and its premise is both intriguing and original. It has moments of true intensity and others where the will of the human spirit is tested. Visually it's consistently gorgeous in a grim manner too. 

But, it's also not a single thing like it advertises, only approaches the horror genre a handful of times, and provides a story that plays more like a severed episode of a longer TV season than a full film. I imagine that it will have its circles that defend it past these qualms and there are reasons I would defend it too, but I also left my theater feeling almost cheated out of an experience while also depressed by the harsh tidings it serves up. 

Bane's got a new mask, baby!

It Comes at Night's plot is based on a family that lives far out in the woods that is fully self sustainable after an apocalyptic-level virus/sickness wipes out most of mankind, or at least it seems like that. No answers or background are given to this world and while that's the artistic license the film took, it felt like a missed opportunity to me. Even some slight ground rules for: where they are, how long has it been since, and what are the ways the sickness is passed (because that's never quite explicitly stated and it led me to some confusion) would have been nice and definitely added some context. Unfortunately, by the time the credits roll, it's clear to the viewer that there will be no grand reveal or moment really -- just people trying to survive and the loss/suffering that comes with that. I'd be ok with that if the movie weren't called It Comes at Night because nothing, literally nothing, comes at night. I guess that's a spoiler of sorts, but I think it's fair to set the stage for what audiences should really be expecting rather than touting it as this ultra-scary horror film. 

I came expecting a purple door.
This movie sucks!

What It Comes at Night really reminded me of is if there were a Last of Us (videogame) TV show and this was one of the episodes within a season. That's not an awful comparison by any stretch of the imagination and the tone, atmosphere, intensity, and character behavior that I saw in the film reminded me a ton about the game. It's during these moments that the film is at its best and I'm not entirely sure why the direction to advertise it as straight horror was chosen. Maybe an experiment in audience reception perhaps? Either way, I think advertising it as an intense, human survivalist thriller would have done just fine in trailers too so I still just don't quite get it. 

Unfortunately, with the lack of background setting and anything that truly "comes at night", I didn't feel that there was enough content here and, if I'm being honest, the 1.5 hour-ish runtime felt more like 2. The pacing aims for a slow burn of tension and build, which it does well. It achieves its goal there, but I couldn't help but feel like something was missing. Some other player introduced or some actual monster in the night. Some of that lies on me for managing my own expectations, I know, though some of it is also the mark of a good film to deliver on. The final scenes are intense, they are hard to watch, but at least for me, they were both expected and not all that surprising. 

Though I can't state enough how It Comes at Night is not a bad movie, despite my disappointment with it. The performances are spectacular, particularly Edgerton's, and these folks really feel like they're living in a world where you can't trust anyone. The setting itself and the way it's filmed set a tone/feel that's dripping with dread and impending doom. The cinematography is top-notch and same goes for the editing and original score. They all lend a helping hand in creating the atmosphere that this film so expertly achieves. It also gets points for being original which, ironically, if it were an actual horror film I feel like it would have been less so. 

"Dammit, Grandpa.
How many times have we told you to put down the chocolate syrup?!"

It Comes at Night wasn't a movie I necessarily "enjoyed". It's a hard watch and I clearly have a hard time dramatically shifting my expectations. For film buffs like myself though, I did walk away with an appreciation for many elements, both technical and plot-oriented, that were either unique or just very well done. I also love supporting A24, so that's a win for me too. I just wish that the final product wouldn't have been such a far, somewhat hollow departure from what it was consistently feeding from the beginning. 

CONS

• Not what it advertises really at all. I have issue with this because A) I think it would have been fine/better to advertise it as what it really is and B) the resulting product will leave audiences wanting who came for something very specific
• The scares are few and far between...see point above
• Little-to-no world building or explanation feels like a missed opportunity to me. I wasn't looking for 60+ minutes of exposition, but there's a very specific conversation that could have included several tidbits about what happened quite nicely
• By the end of it all, it feels like an elongated TV episode
• Slow burn pacing pays off to a fairly predictable scenario/ending
• Not necessarily a Con, but this isn't really a "fun" movie to watch

PROS

• May feel like a TV episode, but that TV show would basically be a Last of Us adaptation
• Fantastic atmosphere of dread, intense distrust, and threats
• Performances across the board were good
• Features several very intense moments between characters and these scenes grab your attention and don't let go
• Consistently high quality: cinematography, original score, and editing
• Originality from A24 is something I always like to see

Rath's Review Score | 6.5/10