Today we welcome a brand new contributor to the Addicted to Media team, Mirza Hota. Mirza's first challenge is Night's End, directed by Jennifer Reeder (Knives and Skin)
Night's End starts off really well. An unemployed divorcee shut-in with a history of alcohol abuse (played convincingly by Geno Walker) moving to a new town, away from his ex and their kids to an apartment that turns out to be haunted.
Walker spends most of his days carefully sealing himself off from the world outside of his apartment and making YouTube videos until viewers of one of his clips notice something strange going on and alert Walker to it.
I don't want to give too much away in this review. I have to admit I really enjoyed large portions of the film. It's atmospheric, dark and in parts very claustrophobic which adds greatly to the tension and highlights the main character's loneliness and frustration. The feeling that he is trapped in a prison of his own making.
The lead is very effective and Michael Shannon (who unfortunately does not get the chance to shine here) is always a welcome addition to any film.
Sadly Night's End loses it's edge, and much of the atmosphere towards the end and becomes a bit silly. Again I don't want to reveal too much but the ending didn't work for me. There was plenty there to work with. The main character's isolation, his frustration and anxiety are not properly explored. I don't know if the filmmakers felt they didn't know how to wrap it up or simply felt they had to end things spectacularly but I think they missed an opportunity here.
I give Night's End two-and-a-half out of five stars, rounded down to two stars for that ending. This is Jennifer Reeder's first foray into horror.★★☆☆☆
A Shudder original, Night's End will premiere on 31 March 2022
