Skip to main content

Coming Home in the Dark (2021)

Coming Home in the Dark movie poster

Coming Home in the Dark is a 2021 New Zealand psychological-thriller film based on a 1995 short-story of the same name by Owen Marshall. Directed by James Ashcroft and written by Eli Kent with James Ashcroft, the film stars Daniel Gillies, Erik Thomson, Miriama McDowell and Matthias Luafutu. Coming Home in the Dark premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 31, 2021 in the Midnight section.

A schoolteacher is forced to confront a brutal act from his past when a pair of ruthless drifters take his family and him on a nightmare road trip.

Freddy and Krasnaya Movie Review
***SPOILER ALERT***

K: Third film of the week - Coming Home in the Dark - a film that, without watching, you will lose nothing, and get to keep your eyesight and mood. I still didn’t understand what the director was trying to convey to the viewer with this film; that cruelty breeds cruelty or that karma will overtake you sooner or later?

F: Hey there! Today we have yet another psychological thriller, this time with guns in hand. I wouldn't recommend this movie either, Krasnaya. There's just nothing special about it. Though I liked how it made me feel tense during the speeches of the bad guy, Mandrake (Daniel Gillies). You just couldn't know when that guy was going to squeeze the trigger on his gun. Mandrake is an interesting character when you meet him, but when you get to know him after an hour and thirty-three minutes, you realize that he's just another ordinary villain.

Cleasing from the bad spirits
If you see someone doing this, you better run.
K: The beginning of the film was interesting and showed promise for an exciting story. I really liked the scenery and the character of Daniel Gillies in the rays of the setting sun. As a result, everything merged into endless cruelty, strange dialogues and little dynamic scenes. The acting leaves much to be desired. None of the characters hooked me.

F: I have to agree with you, the beginning was exciting and very shocking and it left me with high hopes for Daniel Gillies' character and his mute partner (Matthias Luafutu). The story and dialogue just didn't help with the character's development. Their psychopathic actions didn't make much sense. In the end, I was asking if I had missed something. The movie is very simple, so I don't think so, there's just nothing special to be said. 

The acting for me was also not very convincing, especially by the father. The feelings just didn't translate very well to what had just happened. It needed more suffering, despair, terror, something...

Rapazinho da casa pia
Don't cry. You will be in better movies soon.
K: It turned out to be a boring film at one time. After seeing the protected natural beauties of New Zealand, perhaps you can turn it off.

F: I didn't find it boring at all, but it was an unsatisfactory experience in the end. This movie didn't "feel" real enough to me. It's just one more violent movie that you can skip. And even that violence, which seems to be the theme of the movie, is done poorly. How come you bang the head of a guy with a fire extinguisher several times and his skull is still intact? Hasn't director James Ashcroft watched the movie "Irreversible"? Very poor.

This guy is weak with his fire extinguisher
Here I was having traumatic "Irreversible" flashbacks.
Freddy's Score: 40/100
Krasnaya's Score: 21/100

FINAL SCORE

MEET THE FILMMAKER JAMES ASHCROFT

DANIEL GILLIES TALKS ABOUT THE MOVIE
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Frank Oz: From Worst to Best

I've finished my Frank Oz filmography a while back and hadn't had the time to post here the rank and some thoughts about his work. Let's try to refresh my memory and give you some of my opinions... man. Frank Oz is a true legend. At 81, he's not just a brilliant filmmaker but also a puppeteer and writer whose characters, from the Muppets to Sesame Street, have touched countless lives. His directing career is full of outstanding, entertaining movies; out of 14 films, there's really only one rotten apple in the bunch. I'm not sure if he's planning to make any more movies, but I'd love to see him try his hand at a serious drama, just to see him flex a different creative muscle. I wouldn't like to be that famous, I value my privacy. Mind you, Miss Piggy enjoys every moment of it. If it were not for me, she would spend all her time in the limelight. Frank OZ This is his entire fi...
Post a Comment
Click to read

Top 5 - Luc Besson

Hey everyone, and welcome back! While I've been posting regularly, it took me a little while to wrap up my thoughts on Luc Besson's filmography and put together this top 5 video. It's been 384 days since my last post on this topic, so I know this video is long overdue, but I hope you'll agree that it was worth the wait! Video Format: For the Visual Film Lovers For those who prefer watching over reading, this video is an easy-to-digest introduction to Luc Besson's movies. I've been wrestling with how to present my thoughts on a director whose career, for me, went from "Cinéma du look" to "cinema don't look." I apologize for the monotonous AI voice in the video; I'm just not that comfortable speaking English with my accent just yet. But...
Post a Comment
Click to read

Friendship (2024)

Plot Summary: Suburban dad Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) becomes obsessed with new neighbor Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd). A quirky bromance spirals into a cringe-filled, emotional unraveling as Craig struggles with boundaries and rejection. Director & Writer: Andrew DeYoung Producer(s): Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Johnny Holland, Nick Weidenfeld Music: Keegan DeWitt Cinematography: Andy Rydzewski Editing: Sophie Corra Starring: Tim Robinson as Craig Waterman Paul Rudd as Austin Carmichael Kate Mara as Tami Waterman Jack Dylan Grazer as Steven Waterman Josh Segarra, Billy Bryk, Jason Veasey and others   ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Wild Ride into Unhinged Genius Alright, instant noodles, shrimp flavor, done. Now for the actual love letter to Friendship, that magnificent, fucked-up black comedy that quite literally brought Tim R...
Post a Comment
Click to read

The Shrouds (2024)

Plot Summary: Tech entrepreneur Karsh (Vincent Cassel) creates a system—GraveTech—that lets mourners watch their loved ones decompose in real time. After some shrouds are mysteriously hacked and vandalized, he digs into a disturbing cyber conspiracy involving grief, surveillance, and obsession. Director & Writer: David Cronenberg Producer(s): Saïd Ben Saïd, Martin Katz, Anthony Vaccarello Music: Howard Shore Cinematography: Douglas Koch Editing: Christopher Donaldson Starring: Vincent Cassel as Karsh Diane Kruger as Becca / Terry / Hunny Guy Pearce as Maury Sandrine Holt as Soo‑Min ***SPOILER ALERT*** The Return of Cronenberg… and Preset C F: Guess who's back? After a 10-year hiatus on this blog, Preset C is joining us to review the latest Cronenberg movie, The Shrouds. And you know what else is coming back with him? So...
Post a Comment
Click to read

Mountainhead (2025)

Plot Summary: Four ultra‑rich tech moguls retreat to a secluded mountain estate as a global AI‑triggered crisis unravels. Their poker weekend turns into a sickening display of arrogance, panic, and slapstick betrayal as they scramble to save face, fortune, and friends. Director & Writer: Jesse Armstrong Music: Nicholas Britell Cinematography: Marcel Zyskind Editor: Mark Davies, Bill Henry Starring: Steve Carell as Randall Garrett Jason Schwartzman as Hugo "Souper" Van Yalk Cory Michael Smith as Venis "Ven" Parish Ramy Youssef as Jeff Abredazi   ***SPOILER ALERT*** First Impressions: Tech Titans and Tedium Okay, another fresh pick! This time, an HBO movie with Steve Carell and Jason Schwartzman, and two other guys I honestly couldn’t name. After peeking at the trailer, I thought Mountainhead might be fun and interesting. The...
Post a Comment
Click to read

Straw (2025)

Plot Summary: Janiyah Wiltkinson (Taraji P. Henson), a desperate single mother of a seriously ill daughter, spirals through eviction, job loss, and tragedy in one catastrophic day. In a last-ditch attempt to get medicine, she starts a bank standoff — but a shocking twist reveals her daughter actually died hours earlier, and Janiyah has been dissociating from reality. Eventually, with support from a bank manager and detective, she surrenders peacefully amid growing public sympathy. Director & Writer: Tyler Perry Producer(s): Tyler Perry Cinematography: Justyn Moro Music: Dara Taylor Editing: Nick Coker Cast: Taraji P. Henson as Janiyah Wiltkinson Sherri Shepherd as Nicole (bank manager) Teyana Taylor as Detective Raymond Sinbad as Benny Glynn Turman as Richard (Janiyah’s boss) Rockmond Dunbar as Chief Wilson Ashley Versher as Tessa  ...
Post a Comment
Click to read