Horror has been used as a means of demonstrating what fear does to society since its birth, as well as the sociological anxieties that eventually lead to division and animosity against fellow human beings.
The themes, which are popular in the current decade, show themselves in unique ways with a 2017 indie film labeled “psychological horror,” “post-apocalyptic horror” and, by some, “boring.”
It Comes at Night is set in a remote location and equally remote time period after a plague has wiped out the majority of the population. In these bleak circumstances, a family of three lives in the middle of the woods, and, especially after the death of the grandfather, which opens the movie, they’re not keen on strangers. When they reluctantly take in another family, however, things go well for a couple of seconds before paranoia about contagion turns them against one another.
This setup makes for a gorgeously painful Crucible-esque breakdown, and, like the play, there is intentional vagueness as to what’s really going on. On a conceptual level, though, the viewer is able to catch what It Comes at Night puts down. Paranoia about the plague seems to be more contagious than the plague itself. The sickness most often appears within nightmares, as if to suggest that the plague is only ever real in the characters’ minds. Fear lies at the root of all conflict and division throughout the movie, and the only alternative is virtue-driven suicide. The stakes are perfect for a cine-masochist like myself.
However, this is not exactly new in Gothic storytelling. The film’s analysis of fear and human violence is cutting-edge, but this idea is present in leagues of stories all the way from Dracula in 1898 to The Witch in 2016, making this dynamic feel insubstantial on its own.
It’s fascinating to explore how fear of monsters is what makes us monsters ourselves, and watching the pressure beat down on characters makes for a compelling, cathartic experience, but It Comes at Night is just a little late to the game.
In opposition to the Hollywood addicts calling this movie “boring,” I found this movie chilling and suspenseful, whenever it wanted to be. But, more often than not, It Comes at Night passes up traditional thrill for a sense of infinite anxiety. In a way, it could be called a film without consequences. Its sole consequence is the endless anticipation of consequence, especially when it comes to its deceptive dream sequences. This approach is neat in itself, but is it really worthwhile? It’s attached to a concept that other films manage to integrate while still bringing something more to the table alongside it.
It Comes at Night accomplishes precisely what it sets out to do, and it’s a worthy experience if only for that. But, I would have loved to see its strengths integrated into something bigger, more original and all-around less barebones than the reconstruction of an already mastered technique.
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