Two years ago, Trey Edward Shults impressed me a lot with his latest film, Waves, and I've been wanting to check out his other films ever since. It Comes at Night is very different from Waves but it's another triumph for the director.
It Comes at Night follows a family living in a remote home in the woods. One day, another family arrives to seek refuge leading to trust issues, fear and paranoia.
What got me so interested in this film was not only because of Trey Edward Shults but also the divisive opinions on the film. It's clear that the marketing was way off in terms of getting across what the film was actually about. To be clear, this is NOT a monster movie. I'll be hesitant to even call this a horror film as what plays out is more of a psychological thriller. Shults creates this world and gives information about it without revealing much. We get a basic outline of the living conditions these characters are in and only know as much as they do. Limiting our knowledge of the film's outside world was a great choice by Shults as it allowed us to connect with the characters and the situation they're in. The level of questions Shults leaves up to interpretation in relation to the state of the film's world enabled me to feel the same level of fear and paranoia the characters were going through. What added to the tension was the amasing score by Brian McOmber. It was haunting to listen to and managed to instill a level of eerieness to the atmosphere which felt very necessary and purposeful to the overall story. Another element, which Shults used heavily in Waves also, was the changing aspect ratio. The aspect ratio changes play a huge role in understanding the characters' state of mind, particularly Travis's, and becomes very important towards the fantastic climax.
The film is small in scale and has very few actors but every single person delivered a strong performance. Joel Edgerton was fantastic as the paranoid father in the family. I loved Kelvin Harrison Jr in Waves and he puts forth another terrific performance as the troubled son, Travis. Christopher Abbott was another standout and played the role of a suspicious person very well. Carmen Ejogo and Riley Keough were also really good as the mothers of their family. The only real issue I have is the use of a jumpscare in the beginning which felt like a cheap way to get a scare out of the audience.
Trey Edward Shults is proving to be a very promising director in my eyes. It Comes at Night is a very polarising film that leaves us with few answers but it's that exact ambiguity that kept the film engaging and fresh in my mind. By making two polar opposite films, It Comes at Night and Waves, Shults has not only shown his skill as a storyteller but also his versatility.
It Comes at Night follows a family living in a remote home in the woods. One day, another family arrives to seek refuge leading to trust issues, fear and paranoia.
What got me so interested in this film was not only because of Trey Edward Shults but also the divisive opinions on the film. It's clear that the marketing was way off in terms of getting across what the film was actually about. To be clear, this is NOT a monster movie. I'll be hesitant to even call this a horror film as what plays out is more of a psychological thriller. Shults creates this world and gives information about it without revealing much. We get a basic outline of the living conditions these characters are in and only know as much as they do. Limiting our knowledge of the film's outside world was a great choice by Shults as it allowed us to connect with the characters and the situation they're in. The level of questions Shults leaves up to interpretation in relation to the state of the film's world enabled me to feel the same level of fear and paranoia the characters were going through. What added to the tension was the amasing score by Brian McOmber. It was haunting to listen to and managed to instill a level of eerieness to the atmosphere which felt very necessary and purposeful to the overall story. Another element, which Shults used heavily in Waves also, was the changing aspect ratio. The aspect ratio changes play a huge role in understanding the characters' state of mind, particularly Travis's, and becomes very important towards the fantastic climax.
The film is small in scale and has very few actors but every single person delivered a strong performance. Joel Edgerton was fantastic as the paranoid father in the family. I loved Kelvin Harrison Jr in Waves and he puts forth another terrific performance as the troubled son, Travis. Christopher Abbott was another standout and played the role of a suspicious person very well. Carmen Ejogo and Riley Keough were also really good as the mothers of their family. The only real issue I have is the use of a jumpscare in the beginning which felt like a cheap way to get a scare out of the audience.
Trey Edward Shults is proving to be a very promising director in my eyes. It Comes at Night is a very polarising film that leaves us with few answers but it's that exact ambiguity that kept the film engaging and fresh in my mind. By making two polar opposite films, It Comes at Night and Waves, Shults has not only shown his skill as a storyteller but also his versatility.