A group of friends – led by wannabe filmmaker Hank (Luke Persiani), a sleaze of a guy who thinks nothing of creeping into a room and grabbing illicit footage of his friend is in the act of coupling – head to a deserted prison to shoot a ghost hunting film. The promise of $200 each gets the gang on board but they’re full of trepidation, to say the least.
Low budget chills abound as the group encounter something in the dark isolated prison corridors. Never quite sure if it’s one of the team messing about, it soon becomes clear that it’s much more sinister than a simple ghost hunt.
Filmed using traditional cinematic techniques and ‘found footage’ POV shots, Against the Night comes across like a seen-it-all-before routine potboiler in which the largely annoying and forgettable ensemble are picked off one by one by an unseen foe. What does save it from that, however, is the stunning use of the location, and the quite frankly batshit crazy final act where everything but the kitchen sink is thrown into the mix. It doesn’t particularly work, partly due to the opening scene where we see the lone survivor of the night being interviewed by a detective (well-known face Frank Whaley from Luke Cage and Ray Donovan, who is either doing a massive favour for the indie film industry or the director has something on him). This set-up takes away a massive amount of surprise and tension from the escapades in the prison. And, don’t get us wrong, for whatever flaws the film might have, it does manage to build a good sense of claustrophobia and the fact we can’t actually see what’s happening most of the time puts us a little on edge.
It’s a shame that when we get to what could have been a bombastic conclusion for the kids, we’re left a tad deflated and confused. Some films can get away with one twist too many, and Against the Night very nearly does, but sadly, it just doesn’t quite cut it as it gets deeper into the absurd. It’s far from a failure, and if the characters hadn’t been so detestable it could well have been better, but as it stands, it’s just run of the mill, which as big a crime as one could get in horror cinema.
AGAINST THE NIGHT / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: BRIAN CAVALLARO / STARRING: JOSH CAHN, LEAH HOLLERAN, HANNAH KLEEMAN, ERIK KOCHENBERGER / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW (US), TBC (UK)
