Boxer battles brutal bonkers cannibalistic behaviour backlash in an off-balanced, backlogged, overbearing bizarre banquet of cumbersome fables.

The Devil Comes at Night is the new Canadian independent horror film about a disgraced boxer looking for his inheritance in his deceased father’s farmhouse while fighting off a cult of cannibals. The directorial debut of Scott Leaver starts with a long take of two guys entering a house during a tracking shot with the camera following behind them. It spins in a 360° rotation to reveal their faces. This sets up the inciting incident. The film is full of inventive framing, lighting, and camera movements.

I like the lighting because of the blue light which gives a moody atmospheric effect. One scene is lit by Amy’s flashlight. It’s clever because wherever she points the light you’re naturally drawn to look where she is looking. It’s great for adding suspense to a scene by building tension while setting up a jump scare. Minimal editing is used as tracking shots follow in front of her. Said inevitable jump scare doesn’t even come from where I thought it would. That’s very refreshing.

On the contrary, some scenes are too dark so it’s hard to tell what just happened. Sometimes the screen is completely black yet the sound effects can still be heard. Some audio sounds so brutally gory and gross but the kills are off-screen. If you don’t see anything why is this in the movie? We’re the kills overtly censored? It feels like most of the kills were cut out. An hour and 20 minutes is short even for horror movie standards. There’s a long lingering shot of the 2 main characters in a hallway but because of the forced perspective from the framing it makes a window pane look like a cross in the background between the characters’ faces in the foreground. Long takes are often used to show the character’s reactions by sitting at the moment to let it resonate. Filmed in Meaford, Ontario, Canada, the environment I’d the perfect setting for The Devil Comes at Night. I could tell it was filmed in Ontario because they reference Elliot Lake, a city north of Lake Huron.

Written by Ryan Allen, Adrienne Kress, and Scott Leaver, the script is off balance. Character backstories are discussed through conversations that feel natural. It doesn’t feel forced or contrived. However, the story doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense because characters make inexplicably illogical choices to move the plot forward. When characters make so many mistakes it’s hard to stay on their side. The conclusion raises more questions than it answers too. It’s backlogged with too many questions from backstories and subplots to be satisfying.

Ryan Allen is Ben, the disgraced boxer. He is great as the troubled soul seeking redemption. His performance carries the film because when he describes his past, his wave of emotions is earnestly heartfelt. Adrienne Kress is Amy, a local librarian. She provides great comic relief. She’s also the brains of the operation because she knows the town’s history. Her comedic timing is on point and her dramatic turns are compelling. Jason Martorino is Mason, the evil cult leader. He’s excellent as the menacing figure looming over the protagonists like a dark storm cloud. His facial expressions combined with his frightening line delivery are enough to make the bravest feel squeamish. He’s the highlight of the cast.

Overall, The Devil Comes at Night is directed with innovative framing, lighting, and camera movements. It starts strong with a unique premise but over time it gets too busy social pandering about racism so it gets in the way of the storytelling. The well-rounded characters’ ill-advised decisions hinder my ability to keep liking them. The acting isn’t bad, it’s a writing issue. The kills are over-edited to the point it’s extremely noticeable. Because of the racial undertones, and cults, and is primarily set in one location it reminds me of His House (2020), Get Out, John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness, and Night of the Living Dead. I wouldn’t recommend this because those films did it better. And remember, if the Devil Comes a knocking, it’s you better start boxing.