A family day out turns into a nightmare in this New Zealand thriller.

School teachers Alan (Erik Thomson) and Jill (Miriama McDowell) have taken their two sons for a picnic in an idyllic lakeside location, but their peace is shattered when a pair of vagrants stumble upon them. Calm-talking Mandrake (Daniel Gillies) and Tubs (Matthias Luafutu) pull a shotgun and are just about to leave after robbing them when one of the boys calls their father by his nickname, Hoaggie. Mandrake is convinced he’s heard the name before, and over the course of the night, he makes a connection between the oppressive institution that he and Tubs attended and somewhere Alan taught for a while. Alan and Jill are forced to endure a tortuous night as the thugs drive them home.

Coming Home in the Dark explores the thoughts of nature and nurture, with the assumption that the brutal juvenile systems that Mandrake and Tubs were placed helped shape their delinquent future. Director/co-writer James Ashcroft piles on the tension as the married couple are forced to endure a horrific overnight car journey. As revelations are uncovered, their relationship becomes fraught and Mandrake manipulates everything to maximise their horror.

Early into the abduction, another vehicle appears, perhaps offering salvation. As they are too scared to act, Mandrake comments, “When you look back, this will be the moment you’ll wish you’d done something.” It’s a statement that will come back to haunt Alan when he realises the connection the past has to his predicament. All the leads deliver powerhouse performances and the situation is presented in a matter-of-fact, believable way, save, perhaps, for the coincidence of Alan being a teacher at their Borstal-type school.

Coming Home in the Dark is an unrelenting nightmare that will have you not wanting to be in any remote places on your own.

COMING HOME IN THE DARK is available on digital platforms from July 15th.