‘Death follows those who seek it’
Dead of the Nite is a 2013 British found-footage style horror film about a group of ghost hunters being murdered one-by-one in an old manor.
Written, edited and directed by S.J. Evans, the movie stars Tony Todd, Joseph Millson, Cicely Tennant, and Gary Mavers.
Plot:
“When a group of ghost hunters investigate the infamous Jericho Manor, they soon realise it’s not just ghosts that go bump in the night! As people get murdered, the survivors need to discover who or what’s killing them before it’s too late….”
Reviews [may contain spoilers]:
“Dismal found-footager […] The police procedural framing story is quite good – better written, better acted and better shot – but we get only intermittent brief flash-forwards to that before plunging once again into the tedious sub-Blair Witch crap about nobodies we hate.” MJ Simpson, 21st Century British Horror Films, Volume 2: White Settlers and Women in Black, Self-published, 2021
” …its experiment of dabbling in multiple formats never fully succeeds in creating an enveloping experience. The whodunit mystery is so-so and the final third lingers nearly to a standstill while the momentum does the same. With respectable acting and respectable value for the budget, “Dead of the Nite” is above average, but unremarkable.” Culture Crypt
“There were some twists and turns to the plot that I was not expecting, mostly due to knowing almost nothing about the film beforehand, but very little about this movie struck me as great. My biggest complaints are definitely the weak scares and the even weaker (and nearly bloodless) kills.” Horror-Movies.ca
“It means nothing that we know who the antagonist is right from the jump because the film is absurdly flat. I mean absurdly flat. There isn’t a single stimulating moment in the entire production – which looks like novice work if I’ve ever seen it – and that detriment makes it nearly impossible to even finish the film. No one is likeable. No mystery waits.” Horrorfreak News
” …a mundane piece […] The eventual revelation of the killer’s identity comes with a reasonable surprise […] Todd is clearly playing into his latter day role as horror icon and hams it up, giving the part the full force of his mellifluous basso voice.” Moria
” …a tight story with decent cameo and cheesy acting does not a film make overall. Dead of the Nite is flat out boring and uneventful – even the death scenes are pretty bland. There are some things done right with this hooded/masked figure, but ultimately I’m not impressed.” The Other View
” …with a £20,000 budget it was really well shot, with great use of sound especially in regard to the whispers and understated noises that came from the house. The cast are all solid in their roles and although Tony Todd has only a cameo, he does tend to give the film a certain authority…” The Schlock Pit
” …the film is creepy in all the right spots, features plenty of shocks, tension and suspense scenes, and keeps the audience guessing about the goings-on until the very end, when the killer isn’t pulled out of a hat though but presented with a proper motive and all. Plus, the movie’s very nicely acted by all involved.” Search My Trash
“Whilst there aren’t any true gore scenes and the mystery is easy to figure out, Dead of the Nite has enough in its briefcase to at least deliver the odd moment that is worthy of praise. I wasn’t expecting much, but I enjoyed the few jolts and the attempt to make the stalking sequences as scary as possible.” A Slash Above…
Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk
Cast and characters:
Tony Todd … Ruber – West of Hell; Hell Fest; Penance; Final Destination franchise; Candyman; Night of the Living Dead 1990; et al
Joseph Millson … Detective Anderson
Cicely Tennant … Amanda
Gary Mavers … Detective Jenkins
Claudio Pacifico … Killer
Paul Fox … Paul
Simon Bamford … Gary – Book of Blood; Nightbreed; Hellbound: Hellraiser II; Hellraiser
Suzi Lorraine … Crystal
Simone Kaye … Anne-Marie
Stuart Boother … Jason
Rachel Littlemac … Sheila
Anna Carteret … Mrs Matthews
Sousila Pillay … Newsreader
Johnathon Farrell … Police Officer
Filming locations:
Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales
Craig-y-Nos Castle aka Fonmon Castle, Pen-y-cae, Powys, Wales
Wimbledon Common, Wimbledon, London, England
Budget:
£20,000 (estimated)
Technical details:
86 minutes
Trailer:
Full film free to watch online:
MOVIES & MANIA rating:
