Common Sense Media Review
Uneven horror has language, jump scares, demonic imagery.
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Night's End
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In NIGHT'S END, Ken (Geno Walker) is a recluse who has just moved into a new city and new apartment building. He's trying to rebuild his life after getting divorced from his wife, Kelsey (Kate Arrington), with whom he stays in regular contact, and getting downsized from his job. While hiding out from the world, Ken tries producing video content for streaming platforms in the hopes of making money from ad revenue. After filming a video, his best friend Terry tells him how one of his taxidermized birds mysteriously fell off the wall near the end of the video. Meanwhile, strange knocks are heard at the door and a mysterious hand brushes Ken's arm, to say nothing of the bloody noses that start happening. As he explores the history of his apartment building, he learns that a girl named Roberta Wellwood tried to kill her father with an ax but was killed by her mother, Yvonne, before she could do it. As Ken explains and even presents some of the paranormal activity to his audience, he finds that his video channel is starting to develop a following, and it soon captures the attention of noted occult expert Colin Albertson, as well as Dark Corners (Daniel Kyri), who hosts a popular ghost video channel on the internet. When Albertson sends Ken his "spirit jar" as a way to return the ghost to the astral realm, Ken shows it as a live-streaming event on Dark Corners' channel, but he soon learns that he has unleashed something sinister into the world.
Is It Any Good?
This is an uneven haunted-house horror story with a nod to audiences who lived through the COVID-19 pandemic. Night's End centers on a recluse/agoraphobe named Ken who has just moved to a new city. He communicates with the human race only via the internet and with his friends through teleconferencing -- including his ex-wife, played by Kate Arrington, and the ex-wife's new husband, played by real-life husband Michael Shannon. Both come across like they're getting through the quarantine by playing characters who like to get chatty while drinking a little too much wine. Why Ken couldn't just be in quarantine like everybody else isn't really explained (although there are vague and unsatisfying hints), but it's not terribly important. What emerges is a story that doesn't quite work as a horror tale, and doesn't quite work as a commentary on how we entertained ourselves during the age of both COVID and YouTube.
The movie is only around 80 minutes, but it feels longer, mainly because things tend to be repeated. If you want to get up to make a sandwich, there's no need to pause it, because if you miss the action, don't worry: One of the characters will then step in and explain to their friends what just happened. This constant showing that's followed by telling grows tiresome. And the third act isn't really scary so much as slightly weird, cheesy, and maybe a hint at a sequel, just in case anyone wants one.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about haunted-house horror movies like Night's End. How is this similar to and different from other movies centered on haunted houses?
What about this movie suggests that it was inspired by, and perhaps filmed during, the COVID-19 pandemic? What are some examples of other movies finding ways to address the realities of isolation and distance during quarantine?
How does the violence here compare to that of other horror movies?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : March 31, 2022
- Cast : Geno Walker , Daniel Kyri , Michael Shannon
- Director : Jennifer Reeder
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Shudder
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 82 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : April 9, 2022
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