It Comes at Night is a film that discards typical horror movie tropes in place of actual craftsmanship. There are no big revelations being made here, no grand "aha" moment that would have you giving a standing ovation. All it offers you is a general sense of paranoia that's fostered under the right set of circumstances.
Using different aspect ratios (letterboxing) to insinuate the differences between reality and a delusional dream state was not only a clever bit of extradiegetic storytelling but also a great conversation piece once you get to the finale. By playing with the subconscious understanding of these aspects and the simple mechanics of the world created, you basically get a film that demands a rewatch upon completion or at the very least, a proper discussion of the events delivered in the 3rd act.
All the performances were fantastic. Even the younger characters were believable. In a short period of time, they all became flesh and blood people, with none feeling gimmicky or poorly placed.
Perhaps this film was too subdued for its own good. As was the case with 2015's The Witch, this film's dedication for a higher pedigree of horror movie storytelling may have effectively deafened its acceptance from general movie goers. With that being said, this is basically another shoe-in for cult status territory.
Using different aspect ratios (letterboxing) to insinuate the differences between reality and a delusional dream state was not only a clever bit of extradiegetic storytelling but also a great conversation piece once you get to the finale. By playing with the subconscious understanding of these aspects and the simple mechanics of the world created, you basically get a film that demands a rewatch upon completion or at the very least, a proper discussion of the events delivered in the 3rd act.
All the performances were fantastic. Even the younger characters were believable. In a short period of time, they all became flesh and blood people, with none feeling gimmicky or poorly placed.
Perhaps this film was too subdued for its own good. As was the case with 2015's The Witch, this film's dedication for a higher pedigree of horror movie storytelling may have effectively deafened its acceptance from general movie goers. With that being said, this is basically another shoe-in for cult status territory.