HomeFilmArrow Video FrightFest 2021: 'Coming Home in the Dark' review

Arrow Video FrightFest 2021: ‘Coming Home in the Dark’ review

School teacher Hoaggie (Erik Thomson) takes his wife Jill (Miriama McDowell) and their two children into the New Zealand wilderness for a trip. As they settle down for a picnic, the family is interrupted by strangers Mandrake (Daniel Gillies) and Tubs (Matthias Luafutu) who steal their car keys and belongings. Hoping the men will leave, Hoaggie and Jill are horrified by a seemingly random act of violence that leads to them being taken hostage. It soon becomes clear that the encounter wasnā€™t a coincidence and that Hoaggie is hiding a secret from his past.

ā€˜Coming Home in the Darkā€™ is based on Owen Marshallā€™s short story and itā€™s a tense, and violent, psychological thriller. The opening could be one of the most shocking that Iā€™ve seen in a film for quite some time. It has a huge impact that will leave your jaw on the floor and youā€™ll be surprised just how nasty it is. That sets the tone for whatā€™s to come as Hoaggie and his wife Jill have to battle their captors as their marriage is pushed to the limit, thanks to revelations Hoaggie was hoping would stay buried.

Coming Home in the Dark
Credit: Stan Alley

Director James Ashcroft uses ā€˜Coming Home in the Darkā€™ to comment on the child abuse scandals that have rocked New Zealand the past several years. Using Marshallā€™s story, he and co-writer Eli Kent slowly draw out the link between Mandrake, Tubs and Hoaggie, and itā€™s a really intense ride to get there. You canā€™t help but feel sorry for Jill who is essentially collateral damage thanks to her husband keeping secrets. Her realisation that the man sheā€™s built a life with isnā€™t who she thought he was is one of the hardest hitting moments of the film.

Much of the tension though comes from Mandrake, impressively played by ā€˜The Originalsā€™ and ā€˜The Vampire Diariesā€™ star Daniel Gillies. Devoid of any of the characteristics that won him fans in those shows, Gillies is cold, calculated and utterly ruthless. Even when he speaks a seemingly innocuous sentence, you get chills down your spine because heā€™s just so convincing. I had never considered him leading man material before but his performance here is absolutely superb. Erik Thomson is worthy of note too, peeling the layers of Hoaggie away as Mandrake pushes him closer to reveal the secret heā€™s been hiding. Thomson manages to keep the character sympathetic, even when the eventual horrifying reveal comes out.

Coming Home in the Dark
Credit: Stan Alley

ā€˜Coming Home in the Darkā€™ is incredibly bleak, possibly the bleakest film Iā€™ve seen since ā€˜The Roadā€™, but I couldnā€™t take my eyes off it. Yes Iā€™ve seen films like this before and the story while engaging isnā€™t wholly original but itā€™s so well-made (and tense) that you canā€™t look away from the screen. Perhaps the most interesting aspect is that you wind up feeling some degree of sympathy for Mandrake and Tubs, despite them being happy to stop at nothing to exact their revenge.

Coming Home in the Dark
Credit: Dark Sky Films

Cast: Daniel Gillies, Erik Thomson, Miriama McDowell, Matthias Luafutu Director: James Ashcroft Writers: James Ashcroft & Eli Kent Certificate: 18 Duration: 93 mins Released by: Dark Sky Films

[rwp-reviewer-rating-stars id=”0″]

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of PiƱata Media. With over 19 years of journalism experience, Pip has interviewed some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world. He is also a qualified digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience.

Must Read

Advertisement