From my Sundance dispatch dated 2/1/17
"David Lowery’s film is one of the most audaciously original narratives I have seen this decade. Shot with friends Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck as a personal side project while he was filming Pete’s Dragon, the film is not necessarily supposed to be scary as much as an engrossing meditation on life and death. The less you know, the better, but the film’s official synopsis is perfectly put together to tell you all you need to know: “This is the story of a ghost and the house he haunts.”
Having an insurance director is not uncommon in Hollywood. Aging filmmakers, in case a health issue arises, sometimes need to have one. It seems like that’s what might have occurred on “What Happens at Night.”