It Comes at Night: Movie Review

Writer/director Trey Edward Shults sophomore feature film is the well shot but sluggishly paced post-apocalyptic horror film, “It Comes at Night”.  For me, it doesn’t matter how great the cinematography or acting is in a film, if I am bored out of my mind by it.  This holds especially true for genre films.  There is so much talent involved here that it pains me to tell you that I just wasn’t a fan. Having said that, if you were a fan of A24’s 2015 horror film, “The Witch”, then the very-slow-burn here might be right up your alley.

Set mostly within a desolate home in the middle of the woods, Paul (Joel Edgerton), his wife Sarah (Carmen Ejogo) and their son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) live day-by-day spending limited time outside to avoid getting sick from an unnatural terror that has taken countless lives.  When a stranger named Will (Christopher Abbott) brakes into the family’s home, Paul ties him to a tree before agreeing to bring Will’s wife and son back to the house since they have livestock to share.  As-long-as Will and his family obeys Paul’s strict domestic order, things should go smoothly, but of course, things only go smoothly for so long before the sickness gets involved.

“It Comes at Night” is really a great looking horror film, and the cast really does a great job. Harrison Jr. is the definite stand-out a young man who is clearly out of practice interacting with those who are not his parents.  It just wasn’t for me.  There is an audience that will love the film and I can totally see why, but I prefer my horror to have a little more bite.

By: Marc Ferman