When Night Falls

Having read the other reviews, I decided to give this film a try....big mistake on my part.

I have seen other low budget films that were quite enjoyable but I have to say this one was pretty bad. The acting was fairly wooden, I didn't check to see if the actors have been in other movies or not, but based on what I saw, I doubt it.

The "action" sequence was the most pathetic thing I have ever seen, it looked so fake that even though the movie was almost over, I had to hold myself back from turning it off.

I think I have an idea of what the director was trying to do, but he shouldn't try a genre like this until he has more experience under his belt, Alfred Hitchcock he is not.

The premise was alright, but the director failed to inspire the actors at all.

When Night Falls is almost a Jekyll and Hyde kind of film.

After a great little prologue, the first half is very slow and atmospheric. Apart from getting to know the characters, not a lot else happens.

Then, in the second half, all hell breaks loose! There's lots of scares, actions, twists...everything!!

I really loved the second half, but personally did find the buildup of the first half too slow. I can see that the director wanted us to get to know and care about the characters, which is great, but a few boo moments or something would have helped to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

So: First half - 5/10 Second half - 10/10 Overall - 7/10

When Night Falls is definitely one of the most enjoyable, and suspenseful films I've seen in a while. It's starts out as quite a straightforward story about three women trapped in an isolated house with a possible killer lurking in the area. The type of horror setup we've all seen countless times before. But very soon it becomes a real psychological game of cat and mouse, in which you've got no idea what will happen next. Some people might find the film's first half a little slow moving, but I thought that actually worked really well in building up atmosphere and getting us to know, and care about the characters. The second half, though, is very much the film's highlight, with some really great scares, action and twists! This is a must see for those who enjoy a good scare and lots of surprises.

In a time of mindless giant robot fighting films, explosions and car chases, rendered on banks of servers, When Night Falls is a breath of fresh air.

Made for around US$10,000 and shot over 10 days (according to the Directors Commentary on the DVD), this film achieves what the mega budget films so often fail to do.

The story is a good old fashioned thriller, reminiscent of the classics. A suspect, a few red herrings thrown in and an atmospheric location all contribute to an enjoyable experience.

Director Galvin was certainly ambitious with the given budget, by placing the story in 1932 New Zealand. However, it paid off. The period costumes, cars and locations are spot on, and add to the 'classic thriller' feeling.

This film is NOT going to appeal to the teenage boys who hunger for hard bodies draped over the bonnets of alien transforming robot cars....

It WILL certainly be appreciated and enjoyed by the more discerning film goer, not only for the story, but for the work and effort Galvin has put into the film, an obvious labour of love.

Saw a test screening of this a few weeks back and absolutely loved it!! It had the best acting of any Kiwi film I've seen in a long time and there were some really great scares and twists! The second half of the film, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. And the ending completely blew me away!! The 1930s sets and costumes all looked authentic and I never would have guessed that the film was made on a relatively low budget. Also the music was the best I've heard from any film in ages. It was beautiful but also really scary when it had to be. All in all, this is one of the best thrillers I've seen in a long time, not just from New Zealand but anywhere. Though if you don't like getting scared, it may not be for you.

Really recommend it!