New Zealand film Coming Home in the Dark (2021) is the kind of movie that leaves you a little jaded once it’s over. It’s sinister and grimy and makes you think about the state of the world and our part in it. It reminded me a little of an Australian film, Killing Ground, that stuck with me about a random family who gets terrorized by roaming bad guys. The wrong place at the wrong time would be a good way of putting it.
But this film adds an extra layer of depth to those types of dark and twisted stories that slowly build into survival-type narratives. It also veers away from the brutal scenes that usually accompany a story such as this.
Many will be happy to know ahead of time that the worst to see is at the beginning. And even though you might chew your nails to the quick worrying about what these two men will do to this family, the brutality is over quickly, right at the start and off-screen.
Random or On Purpose?
Just when you think you have Coming Home in the Dark all worked out, an idea comes to mind. As the family drives, held captive by the two wandering drifters that appear out of nowhere, their questions become perplexing. Was this a random opportunistic event?
The story plays out with much to think about given the perplexity of the issues that underpin the two men. They are from the wrong side of the track. They have pasts that seem to have firmly outlined whatever they hoped to have in the future. Neither was able to rectify the damage done to them while they were young. So in turn, they go from place to place, robbing people, stealing their property, and sometimes killing innocent people along the way.
But how much blame can be put on those involved in their upbringing? Those directly responsible for the ill-treatment of institutionalized children should shoulder the repercussions if they are ever found out. But what happens to the people who know about the wrongdoings of others? A concept like this gave me pause for thought. Is it human nature to rock the boat, especially when you are sitting in it to right the wrongs of others?
The treatment of many elements in Coming Home in the Dark will try to answer that. Save others, or save yourself? Stand up for what’s right, or turn a blind eye and pretend you didn’t see?
James Ashcroft’s Directorial Debut and It’s a Killer
The characters in James Ashcrofts’ directorial feature film will try and make you pick a side. Even among its villains, it will convince you that certain truths need to be viewed from a certain angle to show all sides of the equation. Performances are tight and it’s easy to be swayed from one side to the other the whole way along. The score gives weight to many of the pinnacle notes that speak to the core of who deserves what.
Filmed almost entirely at night, and mostly inside the car, somehow it feels as though there is a collection of lifetime grievances to undo. The state they live in, society, and more importantly the intricate hierarchy of those in control. How can we mend the fence if we don’t know where it is?
As the secrets of many caught inside “Coming Home in the Dark” reveal themselves, the tension is palpable. And while some might be underwhelmed with how the story plays out, I for one was thankful to get the ending we were given. Is it ever too late to take accountability for who we are?
Coming Home in the Dark is streaming on Apple TV in the USA. If you want to take a scary ride with some bad men, pick this dark and shocking film by New Zealand writers, James Ashcroft and Eli Kent. Taken from a short story by Owen Marshall.
Coming Home in the Dark review
4.5 Do your experiences define you? out of 5
Where Can I Watch Coming Home in the Dark?
- Released in New Zealand Cinemas on August 12 and in Australian Cinemas on September 9, 2021.
- Where can I watch Coming Home in the Dark? You can watch it streamed on Apple TV in the USA, Australia, and the UK.
- The film played at 2021’s Fantasia Film Festival and the Coming Home in the Dark review was given to Mother of Movies as a screener.
- Starring: Daniel Gillies, Erik Thomson, Miriama McDowell, and Matthias Luafutu.
- What should I watch next? The Boy Behind the Door / Random Acts of Violence / Keep Watching
Coming Home in the Dark Movie Trailer
