One of many films perhaps better left as a fond memory than one to search out and rewatch, After Midnight is a slick horror anthology movie, written and directed by Jim and Ken Wheat, that frames three tales in the kind of wraparound that is both enjoyable and predictable, considering how it stems back to what is arguably the granddaddy of horror anthology movies (you know the one I mean).
Things begin with Allison (Jillian McWhirter) having a bad feeling about things. She explains this to her friend, Cheryl (Pamela Adlon), but is unable to be much more specific. Her nerves don’t look to settles down any when she sits down for a class called “Psychology Of Fear”, presented in an unorthodox manner by Professor Edward Derek (Ramy Zada). The Professor is so unorthodox that he is soon told off for his teaching methods, which leads to him inviting a number of students to his home for some late-night tales of terror. That allows viewers to see “The Old Dark House”, “A Night On The Town”, and “All Night Operator”. And, as those tales are being told, a disgruntled student (Russ, played by Ed Monaghan) plans to give the Professor one extra scare.
As with any horror anthology movie, there is an uneven mix here, and different people will have a different favourite. I personally think it is all downhill after the wonderful punchline of “The Old Dark House”, the tale of a young couple who end up wandering through the titular building after they have a tyre blow out on the long drive home. Some people may prefer the tension of the girls being chased by vicious dogs in “A Night On The Town”. And “All Night Operator” tries to tap into that When A Stranger Calls ability to raise goosebumps. It’s the scenes bookending the film that stay consistently stronger than any other tale though, with moments of enjoyable insanity that feel less cosy or safe than anything in the other stories.
Although the writing and direction aren’t terrible, both leave something to be desired. The big problem is pacing. This is a 90-minute movie that feels overlong. Shaving down each individual story and fitting in an extra little stinger would have helped massively, especially when in “A Night On The Town” (reduce it to one girl alone, and cut to the chase - no pun intended - even quicker). I would have also liked to see some more excuses for some fun gore gags. This feels like a TV movie for most of the runtime, which is disappointing.
The acting is perfectly fine, and each story usually has one or two familiar faces to catch your eye. Zada is a lot of fun as the Professor, moving easily from the professional to the possibly unhinged, depending on how strenuously he is trying to make a point about fear. McWhirter has to look uneasy for most of her screentime, which she does, and Monaghan is good value as the young man fairly reasonably upset by the teaching methods of the Professor. Mark McClure and Nadine Van der Velde do good work as they wander around “The Old Dark House”, Penelope Sudrow (well-known to horror fans for being given her “big break in TV” by Freddy Krueger) is the most recognisable member of the group being chased in “A Night On The Town”, and Marg Helgenberger is as good as ever in her role, the phone operator having trouble with a nuisance caller, to say the least.
There’s enough here to make After Midnight worth your time, not least a final few minutes that wonderfully move the dial from zero to insanity at breakneck speed. It’s no classic, but it’s an earnest attempt to add a worthwhile horror anthology to the subgenre. I will always have a soft spot for it. I just might never rewatch it again.
6/10
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