Against the Night

Was drawn into seeing 'Against the Night', with a cool poster/cover, a somewhat intriguing if very derivative premise and as someone with a general appreciation for the genre it fits under. That it was low-budget, which from frequent personal experience is rarely a good sign due to that there are so many poor ones out there (though there are decent to good ones as well), made me though apprehensive.

It is sadly however yet another film seen recently, hence some reiteration because the exact same strengths and flaws present in those films are here, that to me was incredibly disappointing considering its potential which it doesn't do anywhere near enough with. 'Against the Night' is really quite abominable, with so many huge flaws and doesn't do anything with any potential it had. There is nothing good here in 'Against the Night' apart from the eerie-looking setting that is wasted by the rest of the production values, just amateur hour all round.

Going on to the negatives, the story does feel over-stretched and some of it comes over as vague and under-explained in the last third where the film especially became duller, more predictable, more senseless and less unsettled and never gaining momentum. All the characters are too sketchy and with cardboard thin and colourless personalities and with nowhere near enough to make one want to endear to them. Their annoying and illogical decision making and behaviours frustrates. The chemistry is bland and unfocused.

The sound quality is obvious and utilised cheaply (being too loud in the build ups and people's reactions), the effects are laughable and all of the acting is lacking severely on the whole, that's actually an understatement as the worst of it is horrendous. There is no sense of horror or engagement with the awful predicament they're in, and no connecting with the character, it just reeks of indifference which makes the viewer not care less too.

Dialogue can be stilted and rambling while the pace and film drags on forever, apparent from the very start, never recovering that interest is lost fast. The ending has no build-up and just ends ridiculously. Found too many of the supposedly shocking moments not surprising or scary and the atmosphere dreary, due to the excessive obviousness, a lot of dumb and vague moments and explanations and the lack of tension and suspense. Thrills are none, thanks to stodginess and excessive over-familiarity, and found myself never invested in the drama, which tended to be indifferently acted, interminably paced and statically directed.

A lot of 'Against the Night' has really dull and going nowhere plot elements and often nonsensical and confusing character motivations, while too many of the things to make you shocked are far from creative or unsettling. It all feels rather tame while the threat completely lacks menace and looks terrible.

Nothing freaky or interesting with some shoddy effects, no development and too derivative, while everything is unimaginative and are more odd than scary, completely failing to show any sense of dread. There is nothing interesting or illuminating with what the film was trying to do and the drama is overwrought with no momentum and a lot of weirdness. The direction is leaden, got the sense their heart was not in it, and the music is ill-fitting. 'Against the Night' is very amateurish visually, too drearily lit and shows no care in the way it's shot, severely compromising any coherence. The editing has more continuity errors than one can count.

Altogether, irredeemably terrible. 1/10 Bethany Cox

Watch if you dare, you won't get the wasted minutes back in your life. Sometimes bad is good, this is not one of those times. Stupid people in abandon jail, you know what's going to happen. The twists all through the movie couldn't save it.....it's bad. You've been warned.

"Against the Night," the 2017 horror film directed by Brian Cavallaro, attempts to tap into the well-worn trope of a group of young people exploring a purportedly haunted abandoned location. In this instance, it's a former prison, a setting ripe with potential for psychological tension and jump scares. The premise sees a filmmaker, Hank, gather a group of friends to shoot a fake ghost-hunting documentary for a cash prize. However, their lighthearted expedition soon devolves into a desperate fight for survival as they realize they are not alone, and something - or someone - is hunting them.

The film grapples with themes of trust, paranoia, and the blurring lines between reality and fabrication. As the group dwindles, accusations fly, and the friends turn on each other, questioning whether the threat is supernatural or a malevolent presence among them. This internal conflict, coupled with the claustrophobic setting of the prison, is where "Against the Night" attempts to find its footing. The abandoned prison itself is perhaps the strongest character in the film, its decaying walls and labyrinthine corridors providing a genuinely eerie backdrop. The production team clearly leveraged the location to its fullest, utilizing practical lighting and the natural shadows to create an unsettling atmosphere.

However, despite these promising elements, "Against the Night" largely falters in its execution. A significant criticism leveled against the film is its underdeveloped characters. The large ensemble cast means that few, if any, of the individuals are given enough depth for the audience to truly care about their fates. They often embody horror archetypes without transcending them, leading to a sense of detachment as they are picked off one by one. The dialogue, too, has been noted as uninspired, failing to add nuance or believability to their interactions.

Furthermore, the film struggles with narrative coherence and pacing. While the initial setup is clear, the plot quickly becomes convoluted, with red herrings and twists that don't always land effectively. The blend of "found footage" and traditional cinematography is often haphazard, leading to disorienting camera work that can detract from the scares rather than enhance them. The film's attempts at jump scares and gore are frequently undermined by off-screen kills or a lack of impactful practical effects, leaving much to the imagination in a way that feels more like a budgetary constraint than a deliberate artistic choice.

The ending, in particular, has been a point of contention among viewers and critics. Designed to be a shocking reveal, it often comes across as more confusing or nonsensical than genuinely surprising, leaving many questions unanswered and failing to provide a satisfying resolution to the mounting tension.

In conclusion, "Against the Night" benefits from a strong central location and a premise that holds initial promise for a psychological horror experience. It tries to explore themes of betrayal and the horrors that can emerge from within a group, even when faced with an external threat. However, its ambitions are often undercut by underdeveloped characters, an inconsistent narrative, and execution issues that prevent it from fully capitalizing on its atmospheric potential. While it might offer some fleeting moments of creepiness, ultimately, "Against the Night" struggles to leave a lasting impression, settling instead into the crowded realm of forgettable low-budget horror flicks that promise more than they deliver.

This could have been a good film, the location was terrific. Unfortunately it felt like the writer had too many ideas, and decided to use all of them.

Stars are given based on my personal enjoyment of the film and plot.

2 - Terrible in both plot and production. I was either left wanting my time back or wondering what just happened.

For a low budget modern horror movie, the production quality is great, the acting is good enough, and the premise works.

Where does it go wrong then?

First, it's not scary. There is no suspense and the movie takes itself seriously, so there should be some.

Second, the death sequences are dry and lame. The screen will go black and someone will randomly go missing. That's it. No payoff, no terror.

Third, they rely on the found footage aspect when it's not needed. The a/v is well done otherwise and this does not make it more effective. The majority of the movie ends up being a plain black screen about 25 minutes in.

This could have been successful, but falls completely flat.