You know who’s had an
amazing track record so far? A24. The independent film studio has only been
around for about four years, but in that short time they have churned out some
of the best movies of the decade. Films so unique, different and challenging that, by mere coincidence, half of my year-end list in 2016 came from their roster. Just a few of the
titles under their belt so far include award winners like Moonlight and Room, but
also a wide array of bold new films including Ex-Machina, Spring Breakers, The Lobster, Swiss Army Man, and A Most Violent Year. But one genre that
A24 has been making strides in is horror, specifically that vague title of “arthouse”
horror that isn’t particularly scary but relies more on atmosphere and
suspense, like Under The Skin and The Witch. And now it looks like It Comes At Night will be joining those
ranks.
Our story takes place
after an unspecified disease has ravaged most of the population and sends society
back to its hunter-gatherer stage. What caused the virus or even its name is left a mystery. All we know is that it's airborne and only way to deal with the infected is to
shoot them and burn the body. The focus is squarely on a family consisting of
Paul (Joel Edgerton), his wife Sharon (Carmen Ejogo) and their teenage son
Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), who’ve been living in a cabin in the middle of
the woods, and had just finished putting down their infected grandfather. Their
world is shaken once again when a stranger (Christopher Abbot) breaks into
their house at night, but he convinces them to not only spare him, but to let
him and his family move in with them so they can work together and increase
their chances of survival. They’re able to live in harmony at first, but that
peace is disrupted by unforeseen circumstances and paranoia sets everyone back
into survivalist mode.
Anyone who saw the
trailers and were expecting a straight up horror movie are probably going to
leave feeling disappointed. In fact, the movie’s claim to horror is probably
debatable since the scares are few and far between and there’s a greater
emphasis on suspense. In truth, this is a post-apocalyptic survival story in
the vein of The Road or 10 Cloverfield Lane. But where a lot of
those stories tend to be a power fantasy about an everyman becoming an
alpha-male badass through sheer determination or the gun touting redneck being
the most adept to survive, this seems to be a more deliberate deconstruction of
that idea. While Paul was just a history teacher who had to transform into
Daryl from The Walking Dead in order to
provide for his family, a lot of those macho “survive at all costs” instincts do
end up hurting himself and everyone around him in the long run. This is
emphasized by the fact that the majority of the film is seen through the eyes
of his son Travis, who is still reeling from the death of his grandfather, haunted
by recurring nightmares, and dealing with typical teenage turmoil like out of
control hormones and the inevitable realization that his parents are imperfect
humans under the worst circumstances imaginable. It’s given even more gravitas
with the knowledge that the film was heavily inspired by the passing of writer/director
Trey Edward Schults’ father. (Between this and his previous film, Krisha, I can only imagine what this guy’s
family must’ve been like.)
While there are no real ghouls
or monsters lurking out in the wilderness, waiting to pick our characters off
one by one, the titular “It” is most likely referring to the dread, fear and
paranoia that leaves those in danger lashing out at the darkness that will
eventually come for us all. The film actually has quite a lot in common with
its fellow A24 alumni The Witch: both
are family dramas cleverly disguised as horror films, both are set in isolated
locations in an agrarian society, both are about families who are torn apart by
paranoia, both feature father figures who are brought down by their own pride,
and both are seasoned with a healthy dosage of religious symbolism.
Although it’s more
blatant in The Witch (for obvious
reasons), its use is a bit more subtle in It
Comes At Night. Most notably the red door, reminiscent of the doors painted
in sacrificial lamb’s blood by Moses’s followers to avoid God’s plague in the
book of Exodus. But there can also be a God/Man dynamic read in the
relationship between Paul and basically the rest of the cast. He wields control
and order with one hand, and with that same hand he holds destruction, a
balance that is threatened when those around him challenge him. While his
family remains unquestioning, the couple who take refuge with him realize how
unstable the balance becomes, and while I can’t say what the outcome of his
authority being challenged is without heavy spoilers, I will say that the blast
radius is enormous. This has one of the most depressing endings I’ve seen in a
long time.
However, there are a few
bugbears that might be an obstacle for some. For one, the film is relatively
short, with a runtime that clocks in at just above 90 minutes. While it is very
economical with what little time it has, it does leave us with a few loose
ends, some of which are deliberately left that way. I personally love it when movies leave it to the viewer to figure certain things out and draw their own conclusion, but I know more than a few people for whom this will be hard to get over. It also doesn’t help that
the movie has what I like to call an “A24 Ending”: it’s vague, abrupt, wildly
open to interpretation, and ends with a final shot that leaves the audience
asking “wait, that’s it?” Ex-Machina
did it, The Lobster did it, Under The Skin did it, even Moonlight did it, and this is no exception. Those looking for closure will be left wanting.
Overall, It Comes At Night is a chilling suspense thriller that is deceptive in its simplicity. Those looking for a
unique twist on the post-apocalyptic survival story will get a kick out of it,
even if the advertising was entirely misleading. It’s got great atmosphere, the
performances are solid all-around, and now that Trey Edward Schults has proven
what he can do with genre fare on a budget, it’s only a matter of time before
we see which big tentpole franchise comes asking him to direct their next
installment. This comes highly recommended.
8/10
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