The Midnight Man
Directed by:
Travis ZariwnyCinematography:
Gavin KellyComposer:
Olaf PyttlikCast:
Logan Creran, Robert Englund, Grayson Gabriel, Em Haine, Meredith Rose, Gabrielle Haugh, Summer H. Howell, Louise Linton, Lin Shaye, Keenan Lehmann (more)Plots(1)
It was supposed to be just an urban legend… On a snowy night in her grandmother’s sprawling mansion, teenage Alex (Gabrielle Haugh) and her best friend Miles (Grayson Gabriel) discover a mysterious box hidden away in the attic. Inside are instructions for The Midnight Game, an ancient Pagan ritual said to summon the players’ greatest fears. It all seems like harmless fun - until they unleash the terrifying spirit of The Midnight Man, an unholy force who pits them against their darkest demons and dares them to survive. Horror legends Robert Englund and Lin Shaye (A Nightmare on Elm Street) costar in this terrifying, supernatural game of cat and mouse. Play at your own risk… (IFC Midnight)
(more)Reviews (2)
For the month of January, definitely the most interesting addition to the horror genre, but still nothing that I'll remember fondly. The protagonist and her friends find a game in the attic where they summon a demon called Midnight Man who supposedly uses your fear against you, but that's all talk unfortunately. The opening scene and the slaughter of the children is gritty and solid, but then unfortunately 40 minutes of "boredom" ensues as running around the house with candles doesn't do much for me. After that, however the film picks up quite nicely and there is no shortage of great gore, dark atmosphere and a very creepy Lin Shaye, who gave me chills in one scene. Robert Englund makes an appearance, but doesn't bring anything too important to the film. The acting is mediocre, the two main characters were amateurish in my opinion, saved by the beauty of the main character and Lin Shaye. Visually it was also a rather cheap affair, but it was surprising how good the make-up effects turned out. It's a thunderous 80's B-movie, but it's eager and inoffensive. 65%.
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I definitely consider The Midnight Man to be a good piece of work, classic post-war horror entertainment that I would gladly watch in the movie theater. It's nothing truly profound or brilliant, but it's a film I enjoyed watching, and that's certainly no small feat for an American horror film. If every American horror movie was at least like that, I wouldn't have much to complain about.
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