After spending the last two years in a global pandemic, it comes as no surprise that we see an influx of films inspired by contagions, a widespread phenomenon, and isolation. Genre cinema does a good job of translating these societal horrors into on-screen thrills, giving us time to escape our own situation while still finding a thread within the story to connect to.
Enter Night’s End, a sleepy horror about a recluse struggling to become a successful vlogger who discovers that his new apartment is haunted. The story calls for a single-location shooting which serves as a great distraction from what would be considered an obvious pandemic production. The majority of the film carries an evenhanded tone but takes a sharp turn before what would be considered the climax.
Ken Barber, played by Geno Walker, is a divorced dad working to restore his life after suffering a nervous breakdown that’s left him agoraphobic. His days are routine — a morning cup of coffee and a swig of Pepto Bismol, a quick workout, tending to his plants, and indulging in his taxidermy hobby. While he should be filling out job applications, he spends that time uploading web videos hoping to go viral and monetize off the ad revenue.
One can appreciate the juxtaposition of Ken living in isolation while struggling to connect with an online audience. He continues to dole out “life tips” and other random advice that he doesn’t seem to take and viewers don’t respond to. After his friend Terry (Felonious Munk) notices something eerie in one of his videos, he along with Ken’s ex-wife (Kate Arrington) urges him to switch the focus of his video channel to uncovering the truth behind the ghost-like occurrences happening in his home. Once he begins to share his haunted experience and invite users into the reality of his situation, his authenticity causes his fanbase to grow.
Jennifer Reeder’s direction is patient. She uses every inch of the set to draw the viewer into Ken’s world. The shot selection and scene pacing primes the audience for the scares to come. By the time the first spooky thing happens, we’re strapped in, bracing ourselves for what’s next.
We’re full steam ahead from the beginning and Walker does well to utilize the little available to him in order to propel the story forward. The film being part of the video chat horror subgenre makes the minimal contact with other cast members tolerable.
Brett Neveu’s story gives us a solid premise that continues to ascend before inevitably hitting a wall. Then, after an anticlimactic twist, it’s a quick slope fall to the end buried alive by campy effects that undo the beautiful setup Reeder gave us in the beginning. It resembles the opening scene of an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The plot feels abandoned as the film morphs into an entirely different story without finishing the puzzle it already started.
A horror that never fully deluges, Night’s End leaves you in a place that feels more like the beginning of a story than the end. All in all, the potential of the film makes for an easy-to-watch Friday night film that casual fans of horror should find enjoyable, even if the execution fails to meet diehard’s expectations.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Watch Night’s End on Shudder.
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