Here’s a nasty little midnight noir. “Coming Home in the Dark,” directed by New Zealand filmmaker James Ashcroft, is the kind of tightly conceived, no-holds-barred debut that veers towards torture horror, only to unveil surprising substance when you least expect it.
The film, which had its world premiere in Sundance’s Midnight program, is an adaptation of a short story by New Zealand writer Owen Marshall. There are shocking moments in this film, but its gore comes off in sobering ways rather than feeling cheap and labored.
The plot is simple; Married couple Alan (Erik Thomson) and Jill (Miriama McDowell) go out on a road trip with teenage sons Jordan and Maika (Frankie and Billy Paratene). The destination is a picturesque lakeside reserve where the Sunday itinerary will consist of hiking and then a small picnic by the waterside. However, two dingy men (Daniel Gillies and Matthias Luafutu) emerge from the badlands, zeroing in on the family with an immediate purpose of confrontation. They are armed, aggressive and don’t want money. What is their goal? Well, for one thing, to commit indescribably acts of cruelty on this family. But why? That is where I will refrain from revealing more.
What starts off as a calm afternoon turns into an atmospheric nighttime road movie from hell. Aschcroft’s film takes place in the wee-wee hours of the night and morning, its unpredictability the most terrifying aspect. Aschroft’s decision to shoot the film’s most grotesque acts of violence in static long shots so punishing that you just know this writer-director knows exactly what he’s doing to turn the screws over in our heads.
SCORE: B+