‘It Comes at Night’ is not what you think it is

The poster for the movie “It Comes at Night” might be dark and foreboding, perhaps with a pair of sinister, glowering eyes of a murderous beast staring at you — an effective illustration for a monster/ghost-type of horror film.

But it doesn’t because it isn’t.

Writer-director Trey Edward Shults apparently attached this title to his film as a means of poking fun at the seemingly endless stream of jump-scare movies that, like it or not, have a solid base of fans, hence continue to be produced over the years with no end in sight.

Shults also challenges the audience to decide for itself what the “it” is in his movie, which by the way would be more accurately categorized as a psychological thriller.

The less said about the plot to “It Comes at Night,” the better it can be for the viewer. This is an example of a movie that is best digested by going in without having any idea what it is about, because this would intensify the mysteries involved and keep one guessing as to where it is going.

What can be said is this: “It Comes at Night” centers around six people —  Paul (Joel Edgerton, who also served as executive producer), his wife Sarah (Carmen Ejogo), their teenage son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr), Will (Christopher Abbott), his wife Kim (Riley Keough) and toddler son Andrew (Griffin Robert Faulkner). Also a dog, Stanley.

These people are in a situation wherein death lurks everywhere and the keys to survival include being prepared, being very careful and if necessary, very ruthless and unemotional.

Ah, but what about trust? That is the underlying and haunting fear that prevails in this movie. Every interaction between Paul and his family and Will and his family is magnified by each word, movement and even body language that can be tragically misinterpreted.

While Paul, firmly logical and focused on what is necessary to keep everyone safe, is solidly in charge, the emotional core here is Travis. At a time in his life when he could be immersed in social media, budding love and athletics, he instead is stuck in an existence bereft of friends and fun. Yet he is not a brooding teen. He is a good kid, respectful of his parents and devoted to the care of his dog Stanley. But the poor kid suffers some terrifying nightmares that make him an insomniac and particularly keen at sensing potential danger.

Shults’ script succeeds at keeping the viewer on edge. Even as things seem to settle into a mundane and safe routine, there is a sense of foreboding, a tenuous relationship that is threatened not only by outside circumstances that led these six individuals to their risk-laden existence, but also the constant reminder that other people of whom they are sharing space are essentially strangers and may be harboring a secret and possibly deadly agenda.

Running at a brisk 91 minutes, the movie, as directed by Shults in what is only his second full-length feature, maintains an aura of uneasiness. Whatever dangers these six people face from the outside, they are constantly stalked by the unnerving reality that even within a small fortress they have built, the fragile set-up they have established could go horribly wrong at the slightest provocation. Shults then leaves the ending up in the air, and the viewers must ponder what happens next.

Totaling a modest $6 million during its opening week in release, “It Comes at Night” is not likely to be booked in theaters for long. But this is a movie well worth checking out when it moves to other platforms.

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