The Night

This movie is a mixed bag: acting, photography and the general mood are very, very good. Some scenes are very effective and, indeed, so haunting.

On the other hand, the pacing is kinda slow and too much precious times gets lost with cliché jumpscares and other tricks.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to everyone, but if you like fu**ed up family dynamics and dark places, you should give this a try.

I have to start by saying that since this is the debut feature film of Kourosh Ahari, he did a fairly good job in re-imagining the Iranian version of Kubrick's The Shining and the whole haunted house archetype (in this case a hotel) in an American setting. However, the very slow pace of the movie, its predictability, its stereotypical build-ups and jump-scares will fail the movie in making any dazzling impact.

The superb performances by Cannes winner Shahab Hosseini and Niousha Noor should not go unnoticed.

For all those negative reviews because "I didn't understand story, it was pointless" etc. I don't even know what to say. You need average IQ and maturity to be able to comprehend what's going on, it really isn't that complicated.

Plot is great. It is somewhat slow at the beginning but those "irrelevant" small details play part in the third act. As movie progresses it gets more and more interesting and the film devours you.

I will say though, it uses a couple of tropes, not just one or two. Most things are predictable, some aren't, and those that aren't make this movie good because it catches you off guard.

Dark and witty, this film demonstrates that everything has a consequence. 7/10.

The Night managed to do something that few movies can accomplish: a genuine sense of confusion.

Remember In The Mouth Of Madness, the most absolute psychedelic production, where you could barely tell reality from paranoia? Well The Night is a softer version of that, but with its own merits, direction and story. I loved the fact that it was hard to understand what was happening underneath, and there was nothing for me to do but wait and see where it is all heading to. Sure some things were easy to anticipate but I won't take credit away from the movie, it did what it wanted and if this was the way everything was supposed to develop, so be it.

On the same note, I shall also recommend The Vigil (2019), and to be honest I like the latter one more, because that one left nothing for the imagination, it was straight, raw and so lovely from start to finish.

Anyway, The Night is something that I definitely recommend, for all fans of psychological horror, don't expect scary parts, jump scares or gore, it is for the mind, not eye candy.

Cheers!

I really enjoyed this title. A good psychological horror or thriller should not only provide you with lots of visualized scenes. It should mess with your mind, make your mind to trick you; So every and each seconds you're perpetually terrified about everything. And that's what exactly this movie does. I was waiting for this title for a long time and sure it was worth it.