It Comes at Night

This film is similar to The Road (2009). How do you find a reason to live when forced to watch loved ones die?

It Comes at Night, written and directed by Trey Edward Shults, is one of those rare horror films that leaves you completely unnerved from beginning to end. The film concerns a family’s attempt to survive in a world where some unknown plague is destroying mankind.

There are no monsters, only fear and growing apprehension. While our family of three has boarded up their house to protect any infected people from entering and spreading this fatal disease, they reluctantly take in another family of three who are simply trying to find a way to live another day.

Anyone infected with this fatal illness begins to show leprositic sores on parts of their body, and any attempt to care for them only seals your own doom. The central question posed by this intriguing movie is what do you do when a loving family member appears infected?

Joel Edgerton plays the father figure who is dedicated to preserving the safety of his wife (Carmen Ejogo) and 17-year-old son (Kelvin Harrison). Mr. Edgerton once again demonstrates his superior acting skills as previously demonstrated in last year’s Oscar nominated film Loving, the overlooked Jane Got a Gun (2016), the all but ignored film with Johnny Depp, Black Mass(2015), the diabolically clever The Gift (also 2015) and Animal Kingdom (2010), the movie that catapulted him into recognition on the big screen.

As noted, this film grabs you by the throat as you don’t dare look away. On the other hand, given the fact that I only have decent vision in one eye, I was forced to cover it as I looked at a blurry picture in order to hide my fear. Sometimes having amblyopia is an advantage, particularly when you are a movie fan.