As modern mainstream horror consistently becomes increasingly redundant, the Horror Nation has called out for more original productions. “The Long Night” and the talented team behind this dark terror tale answer. Horror films featuring home invasion and cults are amongst the most popular sub-genres in the game. This fright fest film gives the audience a roller coaster ride that features both.
A young big city couple, Grace and Jack, are about to begin the rest of their lives together. Just two things stand in their way. Grace meets Jack’s wealthy judgmental parents and Jack accompanies Grace to her hometown in the deep south, where she desperately wants to locate her biological parents along with bringing closure to her mysterious childhood past before embarking on her bright future. The meeting with Jack’s parents causes a slight riff between the two lovers but is just a foreshadowed speed bump before a full-on terror train collision. Upon arriving at a large estate, owned by a guy that has reached out to Grace about her past, the duo only discover an empty house shrouded in secrets. Grace begins to psychologically unravel as her dark destiny appears to float off the vast farmhouse walls and into her psyche. The town’s welcoming committee shows up at dusk to greet the tourists. Instead of food and drink, the masked and cloaked crew offer up a dead kitten, burning pentagrams, and death on a stick. Jack and Grace attempt to fight and flee as the ancient dark history behind Grace’s existence is explained.
Early reviews compare “The Long Night” to about every cult-based film ever made. While the film plays like a dark demon baby from “The Strangers” and “House of The Devil,” “The Long Night” is an original take on an old plotline. Director Rich Ragsdale (Eight Legged Freaks) along with cinematographer Pierluigi Malavasi present a stunning scare fest. The shot selection is next to perfect, with overhead pans giving creepy isolation to the setting, and tight intimate shots during tense action sequences. Each color hue throughout the film matches the sequences with beautiful ease. The actors’ portrayals are solid with Scout Taylor-Compton (Halloween 2007) giving a stand out showing with a terrifically horrific dramatic and physical performance. While most slow burn films take an age to get going, Ragsdale paces this production to perfection. The opening act gives depth and a proper story arc, capturing the attention of the viewer, while the action picks up right around the forty-minute mark. “The Long Night” hammers home every nail that a cult film fanatic craves. The mystical but believable storyline flows gory and graciously with the fantastic imagery that litters the film, and the build up to the third act payoff is more than satisfying. Only one thing will be on the Horror Nation’s mind after the final shot. That is eager anticipation for an even Longer Night follow up film.
Scream Score: 8.9/10