Shadows on the Wall | The Long Night

The Long Night

dir Rich Ragsdale
scr Mark Young, Robert Sheppe
prd Vasily Bernhardt, Daemon Hillin, Ryan R Johnson, Martin Sprock
with Scout Taylor-Compton, Nolan Gerard Funk, Deborah Kara Unger, Jeff Fahey, Kevin Ragsdale, King Orba, Erika Stasiuleviciute, Juniper Ghazi, Wendy Devore, Rocco Bovo, RJ Johnson, Logan L Henderson
release US 4.Feb.22
22/US 1h31

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Director Rich Ragsdale initially establishes a slick, stately sense of horror, using echoes of Kubrick's The Shining in gliding camerawork and eerie orchestrations. Then he begins to add more standard jump scares, hyper-grisly flourishes and inexplicable storytelling. Soon the movie becomes a series of extended dialog-free sequences that are sometimes downright grotesque. But everything's too gimmicky to make us care about the characters or what might happen to them.

When details emerge about her long-missing parents, Grace (Taylor-Compton) returns to her hometown with her adoring boyfriend Jack (Funk). After an awkward stop to meet Jack's parents along the way, they're already feeling tense when they arrive at a creepy isolated plantation provided by a family friend. Strange things quickly begin happening, as men in antler-head masks begin taunting them with supernatural hocus pocus. And Grace begins to have terrifying visions that hint at some sort of sinister fate awaiting her. Helpfully, they find a dusty old book, and Jack can read Latin.

Noisy flickers of horrors to come build a freak-out undertone long before things anything happens. This house is awash in nastiness, from hissing snakes and critter carcasses of critters to vanishing mobile phones. This is amusingly grounded by the arrival of tetchy neighbour Wayne (Fahey), who's in no mood to put up with this nonsense. But why has Grace been summoned to a gruesome ritual? How does it connect to her childhood? And will the Master (Unger) offer any answers?

In between the gonzo nuttiness, Taylor-Compton and Funk create believable characters whose genuine connection has been strained by their contrasting backgrounds. Then their personalities become rather jarringly inconsistent, even if you discount the fact that Grace occasionally seems possessed by something. By contrast, Jack goes from kind to surly to protective, depending on what the scene requires. At least the man gets the thankless role for a change. And things are livened up by veterans like Fahey and Unger.

Because so much hinges on bizarre visions and inexplicable supernatural powers, it's never easy to engage with whatever is happening. Aside from the set-up, little about this film depends on the characters or plot, as Grace and Jack are menaced by a group of shadowy murderous figures that are clearly unstoppable. All of this leads back to an ancient legend linking violent American colonialism with demons on a malevolent mission. But this intriguing idea remains underdeveloped, as Ragsdale opts instead for even more ominous grisliness.

themes, language, violence 2.Feb.22

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