"When his girlfriend suddenly disappears, leaving a cryptic note as her only explanation, Hank's comfortable life and his sanity begin to crack. Then, from the woods surrounding his house, something terrible starts trying to break in."
I Say...
That's an excellent descriptor that tells you all you need to know going into it.
Horror Type...
Creature Feature, Relationship Drama
Main Players...
Jeremy Gardner as Hank (Hopeless-Romantic Hunter)
Brea Grant as Abby (Gone Away Girlfriend)
Henry Zebrowski as Wade (Game, if Goofy, BFF)
I liked...
- what a cute couple Abby and Hank make (mainly in Hank's recalled memories--they're cute but not cloyingly so)
- the creepy af house--Abby compares it to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre joint and she's not far off. Anyway, it really sets the tone for Southern Gothic...
- the pacing--things quickly get weird and grow progressively weirder at a nice clip (the movie's about an hour and twenty-ish minutes)
- the way dread builds, especially toward the end, at the climactic birthday party (birthday parties do tend to bring out the intensity within folks, don't they?)
- Hank's heartfelt monologue at said party--as lovely as his singing voice!
- the unexpected moments of levity, much of it in connection with Hank's BFF Wade
- the proposal scene, which is now my fave in cinematic history
The Meh...
Hank and Abby have The Relationship Talk--which they do need to have, but at 13 minutes long (I clocked it!) it really bogs things down. On the one hand, Abby's points provide a good reality-check contrast with Hank's earlier nostalgic reminiscing. On the other hand, it was too much in one go, and I wish they'd found a way to get some of that exposition out in a way that didn't completely stall the action FOR 13 MINUTES STRAIGHT!
Would I recommend it...?
Hank and Abby have The Relationship Talk--which they do need to have, but at 13 minutes long (I clocked it!) it really bogs things down. On the one hand, Abby's points provide a good reality-check contrast with Hank's earlier nostalgic reminiscing. On the other hand, it was too much in one go, and I wish they'd found a way to get some of that exposition out in a way that didn't completely stall the action FOR 13 MINUTES STRAIGHT!
Would I recommend it...?
Yes, as I did enjoy this slow-burn, special film. It's a great meditation on relationship troubles and the suffering they bring when time passes without input from the beloved. With the above complaint noted, I think it's a great bit of drama. The horror aspects are felt more in the atmosphere, setting, and Hank's isolation--HOWEVER, there's a spectacular jump scare that your body's growing tension anticipates but can't quite predict, followed by some necessary gore. That bit's as bad as it gets in this movie and, apart from one earlier quick flash of the Creature, the only other such horror-movie staple in this flick. BUT it really is something, and it made me actually jump and squeak, and then LOL the way you do after you've had the stuffin spooked out of you. I legit got chills too, ROTFL, racing right down my arms, dang it all. Which, I have to admit, was rather pleasurable, as I so rarely get so freaked out by movies these days.
Miscellany...
I chose this flick because Henry Zebrowski's in it--I mainly know him from the Last Podcast on the Left and was curious to see his acting chops, which I did enjoy here. (Full disclosure: since they left Stitcher in favor of exclusivity with Spotify, I haven't been following LPOTL, mainly bc I don't really use Spotify for anything else.)
Ratings...
My Grade: B+ as a Drama, B as a Horror Movie
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=88%, Audience Score=47%
Details, Schmeetails...
I Watched After Midnight on Amazon (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other streaming platforms)
This concludes Day 3 of
Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...
IF YOU DARE
I think I'll pass on this one.
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