When times are tough and you need money, sometimes you have to take jobs that are less than ideal, all for the sake of that extra dough. For Juliet (Natalie Denise Sperl), the protagonist of director Joe Cornet’s Night of the Caregiver, she finds out the hard way that some prospects are too good to be true, and red flags shouldn’t be ignored.

The film starts off with an intense scene that at first feels out of place until we see the “thirteen hours earlier” pop up on screen. From there, we’re introduced to Detective Roman Eckhart (Joe Cornet), who has traveled to California to speak with Parapsychology expert Dr. King (Eric Roberts). It’s clear Detective Eckhart is seeking information from Dr. King about paranormal events, but the details are fuzzy, on purpose, as it’s clear this will be an important element to the story later on.

That’s when we jump to Juliet, a nurse who is en route to an overnight hospice care job that pays more in one night than she makes in an entire week. She’s on the phone explaining this to Pamela (Anna Oris), who doesn’t hesitate in showing her disappointment in Juliet taking this last minute job. The nature of their relationship is unclear, and whether they are friends or romantically involved is never fully explained, even though the pendulum seems to swing towards either possibility depending on the scene. While it’s not necessarily essential information, it would have been nice to know definitively so that each of their characters’ motivations could be more easily understood. 

Warning signs begin the moment Juliet arrives at the large old house in the middle of nowhere, but ease up once she meets her patient, Lillian Gresham (Eileen Dietz). Lillian is pleasant and warm, complimenting Juliet and even telling her she prefers Juliet over her regular caregiver. Once Juliet presses Lillian for more information regarding her illness, however, Lillian becomes vague and dismissive, even arguing that she doesn’t want her vitals taken. 

As the night goes on, Juliet discovers that not all is what it appears to be, as she begins to experience unexplainable noises and sights that may or may not be hallucinations resulting in her exhaustion from being overworked. As the mystery deepens of who Lillian is exactly, and the subplot with Detective Eckhart and Dr. King intersects with the main storyline, Juliet is faced with trying to survive the night against multiple threats and pitfalls.

Night of the Caregiver starts off as a slow burn, sprinkling in breadcrumbs of jump scares and subtle misdirection, but ramps up the action and intensity by the third act. Fortunately, the runtime sits at just over an hour, so it isn’t plagued by bloated lag or superfluous scenes. 

Though the title itself is undoubtedly lackluster, Cornet and writer Craig Hamann succeed in providing a unique, fun little horror flick. The effects, at times, get the job done, especially considering the budget they likely were working with. Other times however, they come off slightly cheesy and unbelievable, which doesn’t match the tone the film is presenting.

In many ways, the performances are the juggernaut for the likeability factor, particularly with the natural chemistry between Sperl and Dietz, as well as Cornet, who impressively does double duty both in front of and behind the camera. Dietz is truly a gem on her own, lighting up every scene she’s in with undeniable charm. 

Though Night of the Caregiver jumps around confusingly in the first act, it smooths out enough by the middle and second half to be an enjoyable and engaging horror story that will keep you guessing until the final moments.