It Comes at Night (2017)
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A family's isolation is tested when they take in a stranger during a global plague.
The story
A contagious disease ravages the planet, forcing Paul, Sarah, and their teenage son Travis to live a secluded life in a home deep in the woods. After euthanizing Sarah's father, Bud, the family captures an intruder named Will. Despite Paul's deep mistrust, Sarah convinces him to let Will and his family stay with them for safety. The two families begin to establish a sense of normality, but tensions rise as suspicions about infections and hidden motives begin to surface. The atmosphere grows increasingly paranoid as the families navigate the dangers of the outside world and the internal threats of fear and disease.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In a world ravaged by a contagious disease, Paul, Sarah, and their son Travis live in a secluded woodland home. After euthanizing Sarah's father, they capture a stranger, Will, who seeks water for his family. Sarah persuades Paul to let Will's family stay, leading to a tense cohabitation. Trust erodes as Travis hears strange noises and Will's stories shift. One night, Travis finds the dog, Stanley, dead and the front door open, leading Paul to suspect Andrew, Will's son, is infected. The families quarantine, but the tension peaks when Travis claims he is also sick. Paul and Sarah confront Kim and Will, leading to a violent standoff. Will takes Paul captive, demanding food and water. During the struggle, Sarah shoots and kills Will. Kim flees into the woods with Andrew; Paul shoots and kills them both. Finally, Travis dies in bed while his mother comforts him. Paul and Sarah, now visibly infected, sit together in devastated silence.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 91
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Trey Edward Shults
- Writers
- Trey Edward Shults · writer
- Cast and characters
- Joel Edgerton · Paul; Christopher Abbott · Will; Carmen Ejogo · Sarah; Riley Keough · Kim; Kelvin Harrison Jr. · Travis; Griffin Robert Faulkner · Andrew; David Pendleton · Bud; Mickey · Stanley
- Genres
- psychological horror; horror thriller
- Themes
- fear; distrust; isolation; contagion
- Tone and mood
- grim; atmospheric; minimalist; terrifying
- Premise and plot tags
- post-apocalyptic; viral outbreak; psychological horror
- Reception
- The film was positively received by critics but less well received by the general public.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 88% · review count: 257; Metacritic · score: 78 · scale: 100 · review count: 43; CinemaScore · score: D · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Breakthrough Actor · Gotham Independent Film Awards 2017 · 2017 · Nomination
- Production trivia
- Shults began writing the film after the death of his father as a way of dealing with the pain.; The film was inspired by Pieter Bruegel the Elder's 1562 oil painting The Triumph of Death.; The layout of the house is deliberately vague and never properly established, influenced by The Shining's Overlook Hotel.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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