It Comes At Night is a 2017 American horror thriller film, written and directed by Trey Edward Shults (Krisha). It stars Joel Edgerton, Riley Keough, Christopher Abbott, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Carmen Ejogo.
A man learns that the evil stalking his family home may be only a prelude to horrors that come from within. Secure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, the tenuous domestic order he has established with his wife and son is put to the ultimate test with the arrival of a desperate young family seeking refuge.
Despite the best intentions of both families, paranoia and mistrust boil over as the horrors outside creep ever-closer, awakening something hidden and monstrous within him as he learns that the protection of his family comes at the cost of his soul…
Distributor A24 (The Witch; Swiss Army Man; The Monster) released the film in the US on June 9, 2017. In the UK, the film was released on 7 July 2017.
On September 12, 2017, It Comes At Night was released on Blu-ray and DVD by Lions Gate.
Buy Blu-ray or DVD: Amazon.com
Reviews [click links to read more]:
“It is a movie in which the villains are loss, grief, pain, fear, and distrust—very human emotions—and it is has no traditional undead brain-eaters. There are no zombies in the streets, boogeymen in the basement or witches in the woods—and yet it is one of the most terrifying films in years.” RogerEbert.com
“Like Robert Eggers The Witch, It Comes At Night portrays the stark breakdown of the family unit and its unwillingness to cope in desperate situations […] this is another fine example of American horror going through a renaissance in both reflecting troubling times and using genre cinema as a template whilst retaining an original independent feel.” UK Horror Scene
“No zombies come shambling through the woods, and Mr. Shults doesn’t jolt the audience with false scares or showy plot twists. He builds up the dread with ruthless efficiency and minimal gimmickry, relying on and refreshing some of the oldest techniques in the book.” The New York Times
“The film maintains a deliberate pace, never getting too far ahead of itself, though in a few moments not offering enough narrative development to achieve the same impact that it accomplishes with its third act. This film is less a horror film and more a meticulously paced character study, though that doesn’t make it any less scary.” Daily Dead
“ …It Comes at Night consistently delivers lots of surprises and action. The tension is developed through a number of techniques, including: hiding the threat, sound design and conflict. Though tragic, It Comes at Night will allow most viewers to identify with the characters as this desperate scenario unfolds.” 28 Days Later Analysis
“I enjoyed the tense, moment-to-moment progression of It Comes at Night, but I did not feel like it left me with a better understanding of anything. Maybe humans really are monsters; maybe the world really is f*cked. Even if you’re joyless enough to believe these generalities, certainly there must be more interesting statements for a movie to make.” Polygon
“It’s not a film built on spectacle. Instead, it homes in on the stresses of getting by, day to day, in a world where trust feels unlikely. Or even impossible.” Empire
“The movie is a close-quarters psychological thriller built artfully and honestly, from the ground up, with more of a nod to early John Carpenter than mid-period Danny Boyle. In theory, I applaud the existence of a movie like this one, and It Comes at Night is a good, tight, impressive little exercise.” Variety
“It Comes at Night is one of the smartest additions to the post-apocalyptic sub-genre to come along in years. It’s directed by a filmmaker with a fluid and assured sense of what it is he wants to accomplish, and who does so with mostly flying colors.” IGN
“Created using the minimal cast, plot and SFX necessary, It Comes at Night is a terrific horror movie following the golden rule of cinema – less is more […] Similar in tone to both The Walking Dead and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, viewers are left to fill the gaps, letting our imaginations lead us down darker roads than a film ever could by showing everything.” The Sun
“It’s a drama that wants to tackle ideas of masculinity, violence, and the relationships between fathers and sons. It’s a mesmerizing arthouse film with no qualms about embracing jump scares and slasher-movie tropes. But more than anything else, it’s an ambitious movie…” The Verge
“This is a mix of things: a bit of thriller, a bit of horror, but at heart, a drama that may even benefit from the claustrophobia of the stage as much as film. The narrative feels a little uneven at times too, and as odd as it might sound, it doesn’t feel like the shortest 91 minute film.” Den of Geek!
“Although described as a ‘horror’, this for me was more of a dark thriller. Not knowing what was around each corner and not knowing who can be trusted, made “It Comes at Night” a great watch. This was also helped by great performances from Joel Edgerton and Christopher Abbott…” New on Netflix
Cast and characters:
- Joel Edgerton … Paul
- Christopher Abbott … Will
- Carmen Ejogo … Sarah
- Riley Keough … Kim
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. … Travis
- Griffin Robert Faulkner … Andrew
- David Pendleton … Bud
- Mikey Mikey … Stanley
- Chase Joliet … Man #1
- Mick O’Rourke … Man #2
Technical details:
- 91 minutes
- Audio: Dolby Digital
- Aspect Ratio 2.40:1 | 2.75 : 1 (some scenes) | 3.00 : 1 (some scenes)
