‘First there were two, now only one.’
When Darkness Falls is a 2022 British thriller film about two American female tourists hiking in the Scottish Highlands. Unfortunately, they counter some rather unfriendly locals.
Directed, produced by and co-starring Nathan Shepka from a screenplay co-written with Tom Jolliffe (Van Helsing; Reign of Chaos; Jurassic Island; The Leprechaun’s Curse; Tooth Fairy franchise). Executive produced by John Lepper and Adam Whitton.
The Cyfuno Ventures-Shepka Productions movie also stars Michaela Longden, Tony Macdonald, Niamh O’Donnell, Emma O’Hara, Ben Brinicombe and Craig McEwan.
Plot:
Jess and Andrea are hiking in the Scottish Highlands. But their adventure holiday turns sinister when Andrea disappears after a chance encounter with two men at a pub – leaving Jess to search for her friend in a place she doesn’t know and where the locals are less than helpful. Is there something sinister at work in the peaceful countryside?
Release:
In the US, When Darkness Falls is available On-Demand (VOD) via Amazon Prime
In the UK, When Darkness Falls will be released on Digital on October 2, 2023, by Miracle Media Limited.
Reviews:
“When Darkness Falls had all the makings of an exploitation film that was going to unleash an onslaught of violence upon American tourists as punishment for their naivety, but this film was rather tame violence wise, however, writer, director, and star villain, Nathan Shepka, certainly does hit the mark as far as character development and using foreshadowing to build a foreboding atmosphere.” 6.5 out of 10, Horror Buzz
“Though a bit rough around the edges in some spots […] When Darkness Falls otherwise gets the job done in delivering a tense survival thriller set in an open playing field where there’s nowhere to run but in every direction. That it keeps you guessing on who to ally with enhances its entertainment value, creating a platform where anything can happen and there’s really no place you can turn to.” The Movie Sleuth
“A very clever little thriller that manages to play with audience expectations and surprise the heck out of the viewer with what shapes up to be a straightforward yet well-executed story. But after the set-up pointing in a certain direction, surprise twist is pretty much heaped onto surprise twist – which admittedly isn’t always a good idea, but here it works very nicely…” Search My Trash
” …like most thrillers When Darkness Falls has moments that make you shake your head at the characters’ actions […] There’s enough done right to make When Darkness Falls worth a watch […] Viewers will find themselves second-guessing their choices of heroes and villains more than once as the plot unravels. It just should have been a bit quicker in doing so.” 3.5 out of 5, Voices from the Balcony
YouTube reviews:
Trailer:
“Graveyard encounter” clip:
“Hilltop Watcher” clip:
“Unwanted Company” clip:
Filming locations:
Scotland, UK
Technical specs:
1 hour 40 minutes
Budget:
£25,000 (estimated)
