The Night

Director - Kourosh Ahari (Generations, In Passing)

Starring - Shahab Hosseini (Labyrinth, Midnight Sun), Niousha Noor (My Immigrant Family, Stitchers), and George Maguire (The Zodiac, Fight Club)

Release Date - 2020

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "It never ends"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     The pairing of IFC Films/IFC Midnight and Shout/Scream Factory has brought some unforgettable films over the years.  When I see that a collaborative release is announced I quickly rush to my email to see if I received a press release.  Sometime ago Shout Factory sent out a press release for several IFC joint releases with one of them being the Iranian horror film.  It looked very interesting so I reached out to Shout Factory to see if I could get a copy in for review.  When it arrived I couldn't wait to toss it in. I want to thank Shout Factory and IFC Films for sending this one my way!

     The film follows a young couple who visit a hotel with their newborn.  A quit evening turns menacing when strange sounds awake the couple.  Soon they discover that the hotel is a supernatural hotspot and their night is only beginning.  

     I was really interested in The Night after seeing the film's artwork and synopsis but it made it evident fairly early on that it was going to be a slow burner.  I don't mind a slow horror film as long as it uses it's time wisely to build atmosphere and tension.  Sadly, The Night tries to build up on the atmosphere but it fails to pull it off.  The acting in this one is absolutely fantastic.  The cast really goes above and beyond for their roles.  Hell, if it wasn't for the cast this film would be too damn dull to watch.  I really enjoyed the characters and following them as they effortless go through Persian and English was fascinating to watch.  The story for this one could have been something much more enjoyable.  Instead, it was painfully predictable and felt like I was watching a horror film inspired by American Horror Story: Hotel and bits of The Shining.  I liked the setting of the film and what it tried to establish but the supernatural angle and overall tone of the film just didn't work for me.  It fell into cliche territory which ruined what it had going for it.  Finally, don't expect to see a bloodbath.  The film relies heavily on characters and story with just a little bit of make-up effects to elevate some of the more darker scenes.  Fans looking for practical effects and death scenes will be disappointed.  Overall, The Night has one hell of a cast and a great setting but the story really does need some tweaking.  Once you figure it out all the fun is sucked out of the film.  I'm sure others will enjoy it but I wasn't a fan aside from the brilliant cast.