‘He will consume your soul’
The Devil Comes at Night is a 2022 Canadian horror film in which a washed-up boxer searching for his inheritance must fight for his life when he is trapped in his deceased father’s farmhouse by a local cannibal cult.
Directed by Scott Leaver from a screenplay co-written with Ryan Allen and Adrienne Kress. Produced by Shawn Ahmed, Ryan Allen, Todd Campbell and Nelson Rogers. Executive produced by Adrienne Kress and Scott Leaver.
The Bats! production stars Ryan Allen, Adrienne Kress (Neverknock; Devil’s Mile), Jason Martorino, Elias Zarou, Shawn Ahmed, Todd Campbell, Dana Fradkin, DL MacDonald, Jeremiah Sparks, Julie Cohn and Ty Andrassy.
Our review:
Principal actors collaborated on the script, which wanders unevenly from provocative stuff turning the good-versus-evil dichotomy on its head, to racism, to religious redemption, to flat-out f-word marathons (to be fair, everyone is under pressure).
A main objection – besides protagonists who get considerably bloodied and savaged throughout the evening, yet recover in time for more – is a whiplash twist-ending climax that, while satisfying emotionally, means that much that has preceded it… makes no sense whatsoever. In addition, the audio tape recording of the exorcism that has incited all this sounds much more like an old-time radio drama. Admittedly, the offence is lessened by the fact that the feature was pulled off neatly on restricted Canadian locations with a modest budget; Hollywood’s dark lords would have sacrificed millions.
The nudity quotient is zero and splatter is more inferred than directly shown (a bonus of much of the action in murky darkness). Religious angles might even make this a conversation starter for the spiritually inclined, though it is much more of a boo! horror piece than shockers such as the Frank Peretti/Ted Dekker adaptation House (2008) with its obvious evangelical roots.
Charles Cassady Jr, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
“Religion, demonic possession, violence, racism and so much more make up The Devil Comes at Night. The possibility of an overly complex story could have presented itself at any time but didn’t. Straight forward from start to finish with the kinda burn that makes sense. For sure a film to keep on your radar.” 3 out of 5, Horror Movies Uncut
“A key excursion in the dark should be an uncomfortable sequence which puts the leads in danger, although that’s hampered by the screen turning pitch-black and making the scene unidentifiable. The violence can also feel jarringly edited, as though working around budgetary constraints in distracting ways. Central to the story is a good dynamic, brought alive by effective lead performances.” 3.5 out of 5, Nerdly
“It’s got some great tension and a sense of unease, of everything being slightly off-kilter. It’s also got an ending that just works. Unlike some films that simply don’t earn this sort of reveal, this film absolutely does. It’s a great “Ah-hah!” moment where lots of little details suddenly click into place. Hats off to everyone involved in this, from the director and writers to the actors.” 4 out of 5, Set the Tape
“Overall, The Devil Comes at Night is well directed and executed. It uses its setting effectively to create a good horror atmosphere. The acting is great for certain roles but a little lacking in some. The overall story is pretty well scripted with decent reveals and twists to make it intriguing.” Tranquil Dreams
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