In what may first seem to a be a horror with an unseen horrific beast haunting the periphery of proceedings, Come, Said the Night slowly but surely morphs into more of a horror of the mind and a terror of a closer kind, as 13 year old Sprout uncovers life-changing truths about the seemingly idealistic upbringing she's been a part of.
Removed from everyday society by her religiously zealous father Roy (played impressively by recognisable character actor Lew Temple), Sprout finds her coming of age journey an anything but a by the numbers affair as she is convinced there's a terror lurking in the woods near her families remote wilderness retreat, a fear heightened by the recent death of her older sister, who by all accounts shunned her families stringently held beliefs.
Director Andres Rovira does a great job at slowly but steadily building up this odd world that Sprout inhabits, one where Roy has indoctrinated his children in a world of Greek mythology and lore, encouraging them to pick and choose a Greek god/goddess to dedicate their lives to as Sprout becomes to see herself as more of a warrior woman, charged with finding and destroying the "gorgon" that threatens her families very existence.
Those seeking an out and out horror experience will be left sorely disappointed by Night as Rovira very early on establishes that his film is drenched in drama more than cheap scares and frights, using this unique concept to explore a transition of age and family dynamics instead of the stereotypical generic horror surrounds.
By doing so there's tension and intrigue laying around every corner of Sprout's journey as we begin to understand more about her family's history, unlock the mystery behind her night terrors, learn what happened to her older sister Magda and begin to understand who the real monster is that threatens her and her younger sister Percy.
Unfortunately for Night, a film that looks and feels more polished than its low budget conception would otherwise suggest thanks to some great camera work, sound design and editing, Rovira's film does at times suffer from some its independent roots that's mostly evident in Nicole Moorea Sherman's lead turn as Sprout.
Asked to do a lot for a film that requires a range of emotions and skill sets as an actress, the young performer doesn't always nail the often heavy and complicated material at the core of Night's being and sometimes the films otherwise nicely established mood and setting is undone by some out of place or misjudged acting movements, something that will be ironed out with future development.
Final Say -
Pushed forward by a unique and intriguing concept, Come, Said the Night is an un-typical horror offering, more concerned with the horrors of the everyday than the horrors of the far flung realms and an independent offering that shows much promise for its up and coming director.
3 pairs of long-johns out of 5
