I like to take every film as I find it. Whether working with a small or large budget, whether it's a minute long or a 7-hour+ bum-numbing experience, whether filmed with other main restrictions in place or not. If I learn information about the making of a film that can affect my opinion of it then I'll try to pass that along. If I am missing out on something because I should have previously read a complete comic or book series that everyone else says is essential to getting the most out of the film, well, I'll also try to pass that along (although I greatly dislike that idea). But taking a film as I find it doesn't JUST mean what's there on the screen. It's all about the talent and conviction of those making it, and sometimes it's about recognising the potential in something that doesn't quite achieve what it was setting out to achieve.
Night's End is a film full of great potential, but it's hampered by an inability to get anything spot on. There is some good, spooky, atmosphere in the first half, but it's undercut by the casual attitude of the person finding themselves in the middle of what could be a haunted apartment. There's a wild and fun finale, but it's undercut by the fact that director Jennifer Reeder can't effectively show what she might like us to see developing onscreen.
It also doesn't do enough to distract viewers from the fact that every character is largely shown on computer screens, which feels like it was either a workaround during lockdown times, or just a way to save a bit more money. This format can work, especially in horror movies, but it is a bigger obstacle to overcome when the focus of the movie, for the most part, isn't really the technology itself (even if it does prove crucial to the plot).
Geno Walker plays Ken Barber, a man who is trying to grow his identity on YouTube, or any other generic video-sharing platform standing in for it. Terry (Felonious Munk) is his most loyal viewer, and it's Terry who points out to Ken that something seems to be moving in the background of one of his videos. This leads to Ken changing starting to explore the potential haunting in his home, looking to also get more traffic on his videos by connecting with others, from the host of Dark Corners (Daniel Kyri) to an alleged exorcist, Colin (Lawrence Grimm).
Writer Brett Neveu doesn’t have much work out there so far, which may go some way to explaining why Night’s End has that “mix plenty in for a first, and maybe only, film” feeling. Reeder finds plenty of ways to complement the script, but she is ultimately hampered by the muddled state of the whole thing. It is easy to view this as a much better movie often tripped up by itself.
Walker is a good lead, very good, and his scenes with Munk are excellent, both actors having a good rapport with one another. There are also some good little scenes for Kate Arrington and Michael Shannon, the former playing the ex of Ken, the latter her new partner who is very sweet and supportive in a way that is pleasantly surprising, considering how often that character would be made mean and antagonistic. Sadly, the other cast members aren’t as good. Grimm delivers his performance in a way that feels as if he belongs in a movie, and Kyri is stuck being one of your typically annoying “internet personalities” (the same goes for the character played by Theo Germaine).
Bringing to mind a few other films from recent years (most obviously Host and The Cleansing Hour), Night’s End at least tries to give you familiar scares within slightly different packaging. It is unfortunate that it doesn’t really succeed, but there are certainly a few good moments along the way, in the scare department and in the performances, which is why I feel a bit more goodwill towards it than I would towards any similar film that didn’t even try.
6/10
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