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THE DEVIL COMES AT NIGHT (2023)

Directed by Scott Leaver.
Written by Ryan Allen, Adrienne Kress, Scott Leaver.
Starring Ryan Allen, Adrienne Kress, Jason Martorino, Elias Zarou, Shawn Ahmed, Todd Campbell, Dana Fradkin, Dl MacDonald, Jeremiah Sparks, Julie Cohn

A former boxer named Ben (played by co-writer Ryan Allen) arrives in a small town to search though his deceased father’s things in hopes to find much needed cash. With him is his former trailer Jack (Elias Zarou) who helped raise Ben and now has cancer, which is why they are looking for money in the first place. But once they get into town, Ben, a former addict, finds himself drugged and trapped in his father’s house with townsfolk outside taunting him to come out into the dark. At first, Ben believes the townsfolk are racists looking to do some down home justice to the first black man they’ve seen in a while. But after finding Amy (co-writer Adrienne Kress) hiding out on the second floor and the people outside refusing the entire the house, even though the door is wide open, Ben begins to understand that something more supernatural is going on. As the night goes on, more townspeople gather outside and Ben begins uncovering his father’s deep buried secrets involving a desecrated church and an evil cult.

So yeah, there’s a whole lot of story going on in THE DEVIL COMES AT NIGHT. And while I’m used to indie horror films being underwritten and full of holes, it is refreshing to see a story so soundly written with solid attention to character and detail. The trio of Ryan Allen, Adrienne Kress, and director Scott Leaver add layer upon layer to this story that unfolds rather delicately through this rather complex story. There are nuances attended to, such as the racism angle, which while justified, I feel was hung onto for too long by the film’s lead, as it is quite obvious something past the color of Ben’s skin is afoot here. But I liked the way the film achieved being able to tell an expansive story while sticking to one location, using phone calls, news-clippings, and word of mouth to explain that what is happening outside of the house is going on all over the town.

But while the story is soundproof and unravels logically, I did feel as if the ending was overwritten and took a twist that really didn’t need to happen. Again, I’m impressed because way too many indie films simply end with a cliffhanger that will never be addressed in a never-made sequel or worse yet, a quick ending that doesn’t make a lick of sense, as if the rental company pulled the plug on the entire operation. This ending is again, very sound, but feels like it wraps things up and wants to be a little too clever for its own good.

That said, for a cast of unknowns, everyone does a really good job with their roles. Allen is likable at Ben, giving a nuanced performance of a flawed character you can root for. Kress is also strong as Amy, who shows strength and knowledge, but also recognizes that the threat is bigger than she can take on physically. Having the writers play the characters they wrote seems to have lent these leads the insight to slip into these roles with ease. Even the quiet menace of the leader of the cult, Mason (played by Jason Martorino) never goes over the top and manages to be a threatening presence even though he’s just a guy standing in the dark.

THE DEVIL COMES AT NIGHT has very little effects and relies on the surrounding darkness to set a dire and treacherous mood. While there is very little blood, the threat is real as Ben does endure some great damage via the blade wielding locals. There is a heavy sense of danger due to the strong acting and expert use of camerawork that really sells this minimalist horror film. THE DEVIL COMES AT NIGHT feels like a pandemic-made film, using limited sets, effects, and resources, but relying on the strongest fundamentals of filmmaking, that of strong performances and strong storytelling. I wish more indie movies would be like this one.

Check out the trailer here!!