The Night Eats the World (2018) User Reviews

Definitely not the stereotypical zombie flick!

[t-rexx-568-196825 · 7/10 · 8 October 2018]

For starters, the zombies are totally, utterly mute. Believe or not, it's quite scary! In the real world, a simple cough would get anybody killed in an instant... More generally, one of the most powerful features of this movie is the strength of the overwhelming silence: in the streets, buildings, cars, rooms, hallways... Gone is the human agitation we have grown so used to!

Then, the setting in beautiful Paris, downtown-style. Lots of nice Haustmanian buildings. This comes in sharp contrast to the horror that awaits our character at virtually every corner.

The story fits on a simple sheet of paper, but the interest of this movie lies elsewhere. As some reviewers have described it before, it's about survival of the worst kind. I found myself planning what actions the "hero" should be taking to survive, ahead of him and, ticked, he went through each of them! In this regard, it is a pretty consistent movie which feels quite real.

My biggest complain is about the ending, something that a lot of French movies typically fail to do properly (just like the Americans and Asians, but for some other reasons): there is absolutely no closure to the storyline, far from it. I won't get into the details here, but please be warned that you will be left with a virtually limitless number of possible endings for this movie, way too many in my opinion to feel comfortable with it.

Robinson Crusoe in a Zombie Post-Apocalypse World

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 19 June 2018]

In Paris, Sam (Anders Danielsen Lie) goes to the apartment of his ex-girlfriend to take his tapes back. She is giving a party and asks Sam to go to an isolated room to seek the box with his tapes. He falls asleep on a couch and in the morning he finds the apartment and walls covered with stains of blood. Soon he learns that everybody was murdered by zombies. Sam looks for supplies in the building and barricades himself in a safe apartment. Sam realizes that there are only living dead on the street. As the days go by, Sam survives but feels lonely. Until the day he meets Sarah (Golshifteh Farahani), when he realizes that he is also losing his sanity.

"La nuit a dévoré le monde", a.k.a. "The Nights Eats the World", is a horror tale of solitude and insanity. Sam survives to a zombie apocalypse and locks himself in an apartment. But like Robinson Crusoe, he feels the loneliness of the situation and seeks companion, risking his life trying to rescue a cat from the streets. He has only a zombie locked in the elevator to have conversation with. Sarah is his Friday and the last plot point is absolutely unexpected. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Noite Devorou o Mundo" ("The Night Devoured the World")

Slice of Zombie Life

[Neon_Gold · 7/10 · 26 November 2021]

The poster and description don't really sell this movie correctly. They sort of hint at this bloodbath zombie world. And while there are hints of that, it is much more of a slice of life drama and psychological study if anything.

There are obviously zombies but not they are not the main focus. There are hints of The Omega Man in here but I think it's much more thoughtful, it tries to look at what life would actually be like.

The film is slow and there are like 40 lines of dialogue in the whole movie, it might even be less. This doesn't make it bad or anything but it does make some parts drag ever so slightly.

This is actually quite good

[matahari20-1 · 11 June 2018]

I just finished this. I very much enjoyed it. The undead in this are some of the creepiest in the genre because of their utter silence. The character of Sam really drew me in. You feel very much for him and he manages to portray just about every human emotion there is extremely well while finding ways to survive alone in the desert of death, horror and loss around him. This survival is not just about food and ravenous flesh-eating zombies. There are some small and brilliant experimental music scenes created when Sam finds ingenious ways to relieve his boredom and loneliness. He's obviously a musician . He plays drums amazingly too. There is a twist in there too. I don't want to give anything away except to say I didn't see it coming at all. There were many sad scenes. Some achingly sad. And a few humorous ones. Overall, this is an unexpected gem. Kudos!

Thought Provoking Horror

[smidebarry · 7/10 · 28 August 2018]

Is it better to be alive and alone in a zombie apocalypse or dead and or a zombie? This one does a thorough and solid job of answering all those questions. Zombies and effects are done well but there are long stretches of being stuck with the main character which adds to the sense of claustrophobia. A dilemma worth watching.

A somewhat weak yet still enjoyable genre effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 6/10 · 16 July 2018]

Waking up from a raging party, a lone man finds him in the empty apartment complex with everyone missing and a massive zombie outbreak overrunning the city forcing him to barricade himself inside the building to protect himself from the creatures while trying to remain safe and sane.

This was a decent enough if still flawed zombie effort. One of the few positives featured here is the fact that this one does incredibly well at featuring a creepy setup to the zombie outbreak. The idea of them crashing the party and then overtaking the city while the guy's sleeping through it all, meaning he wakes up to find it abandoned and empty with the last few remnants of survivors coming under attack by the zombies that he sees, from the scattered attacks of the people in the apartment across the street to the few zombies left in his building still left inside. This works to make the opening of this rather creepy and chilling as the suddenness of the situation makes for an appealing start to this one as it goes into the series of events featuring him wandering around the apartment cleaning up after the party. Showing the different tactics of him trying to clean up the apartments, going room by room and occasionally finding zombies still inside or simply doing what he can to remain sane in the situation with that detailing scenes of him staying in shape to maintaining locks and other protective barricades against the creatures. Staying with this feature for as long as it does make for an intriguing survivalist story in the middle of the zombie outbreak as the fact that they're still present and still a menace with plenty of mention made to keep them in the picture in regards to always being around. In addition to the fine gore and zombie make-up, these here hold it up over the rather detrimental flaws. Among the main issues with the film is the fact that there's absolutely no way this should've been allowed to be a full feature-length effort as the story here is just not supportive of what's going on. The idea of him being alone in the middle of the zombie apocalypse seems fine enough as a start, especially with him being trapped in the building by the hordes outside who won't let him escape further into the city should he get free, yet way too much of this one seems like filler material designed to stretch this out beyond what would've been a fine anthology adaptation. The endless scenes of him running around carrying on the repairs of the house or trying to keep himself sane merely serve to highlight the lack of real zombie attacks within here, and then comes the utterly infuriating idea of playing drums within the house that only serve to bring attention to himself with the noise they make with the ferocity he's playing. Any musical instrument in itself is a horrible idea during that time, so him going along with this idea really serves to bring that length issue up since it has no other purpose being here is the goal is for him to avoid detection. The means of him not attempting escape plans or finding out a way to know more about what's going on are also rather curious, and the whole decision-making process he undergoes throughout here is highly suspect. With a weak finale that only serves to highlight that lack of zombie action within here, these manage to hold this one down somewhat.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Language.

Decent

[eric-wallis · 7/10 · 14 July 2018]

The was a pretty good movie right up to the end. To me, a bad ending ruins a movie. That is what happened here.

It's a solo zombie movie

[greenjackle · 6/10 · 15 May 2022]

What can I say. This guy just kind of putters around this flat or apartment complex. Not from England so not sure what they call where he is. Maybe it is because he is British, but he barely does anything.

First I would find weapons and make weapons. That shotgun really needed to be cut down to the wood part. It is way too long. He almost died when he went into one apartment. Zombie 101 before entering a home or building pound on the door or something and wait. If something comes at you then fire at it or stab it or whatever you have. Next that zombie by the window, he needed a broom, duct tape and a knife to make a spear. Then stab the zombie in the head from a safe distance. Same thing with the elevator zombie.

He really needed to defend his apartment complex better. Then set up kill zones and blast his music so the zombies funnel into the kill zones. Or traps to trap large amounts in a central location. This guy is funny though. Zombie apocalypse and he plays around like nothing matters. He collects some food. But water isn't going to run forever. You should fill up jugs and whatever you have with water immediately. Fill your bathtub even. Anything you can put water into do it once you have a base of operations. Get onto the roof and put jugs out to collect water if it rains. Then growing food is your next priority. Also don't put zombies in a bed. Pull them up and burn them, this way you don't spread diseases around.

Kill every zombie no matter what. It may be ruthless but it will protect you in the long run. At any rate the movie is worth watching if you have time to kill.

Most unlikable protaganist ever

[julper-97243 · 1/10 · 6 January 2021]

I tried to like this movie, i did. But from the get-go, there was a big problem with the "hero." Dude has zero personality at best, and is a compete a**hole at the worst. First off, he sits for hours sulking at an ex-girlfriends party, expecting her to drop everything to give him his lame tapes. Like, COME BACK ANOTHER TIME, GUY. TAKE A HINT. Plus the idiotic percussion. Again, you'd have to be a total moron to launch into drum solos (while making stupid, stupid faces) during a zombie apocalypse. Everyone knows that zombies come crawling out the woodwork (literally) at the drop of a pin. And, more importantly, what kind of a protagonist shoots a cat for NO REASON, other than the fact that the cat wanted nothing to do with him. Sam is so unlikable that even a cat prefers zombies to him! They clearly had more personality. Oh, and speaking of shooting things, he's a shoot-first, ask questions later kind of guy. Probably not the best tactic when you're going mad from loneliness. I rarely root for the zombies to win, but in this case, I was Team Undead all the way. Do yourself a favor and watch something where the leads are actually likeable. This one...not so much.

Worth Watching

[AlfredCMartino · 7/10 · 1 May 2022]

If you like zombie movies then this is worth watching. The end came a little too abruptly (which is why I gave it a 7 instead of an 8 or 9), but this was an interesting take on the genre. Well done by the main actor, the screen writer and the director.

La nuit a dévoré le monde: Bit of a let down

[Platypuschow · 4/10 · 2 January 2019]

The curiously titled The Night Eats the World is a french zombie movie, though to appeal to the masses was filmed in English.

It tells the story of a man who falls asleep at a party only to wake up to a zombie apocalypse. If you're expecting an action packed bloody zombie movie, this simply isn't for you.

The movie takes a simple and rather realistic approach, namely one man alone and what he does to pass the time while the world around him turns to chaos.

Early on I was impressed, it was looking like this might be a likeable zombie affair but sadly the quality dips and it falls into the grindy repetitive and excessively depressing category.

The film has its moments but when the credits roll you'll likely be very aware that this movie will be gone from your memory within a week. It's all just so very underwhelming and ultimately goes nowhere.

I'd say nice try, but I'd be lying.

The Good:

Has its moments

Original take on a waning sub-genre

The Bad:

Rather dull

Goes out with a fizzle not a bang

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Lonliness causes insanity? Guess I'm a lunatic

Everyone needs a zombie friend

It satisfied a zombie nerd.

[achmoye · 8/10 · 24 June 2018]

So I watched more than 50 zombie movies for my studies, and this one is one of the most originals I seen.

I like the pragmatism of the main character, who welcomes the new life of survival with a certain calm and meticulous mind. This movie felt quite satisfying and relaxing, like OCD-based, because of the precise character.

I can relate to Sam annoyed by the crowd of the party and then being almost relieved in this zombie apocalypse. But he starts to feel lonely though, and the character progression is really interesting.

Also, zombies make no sound. Huge difference from the main line in zombie tropes. Much scarier. I definitely recommend.

Excellent Zombie movie!

[subxerogravity · 7/10 · 17 July 2018]

A dope movie about a guy who goes to a party to pick up stuff he left with his ex-girlfriend and while waiting for her he falls asleep and wakes up in a Zombie Apocalypse.

One of the best Zombie movies ever seen (and that's saying a lot cause Zombie movies are the best!), it's a quiet tone as this dude goes through an I am Legend type situation thinking he's the last man on the planet (or at least in Paris)

The dude who they got playing the last man on Earth is a pretty good actor cause he had to be interesting for 90 minutes and he pulls it off, making us laugh, making us sad, and making us believe he lost his mind from loneliness. It's a stellar performance.

I recommend.

So boring it must be art

[thekarmicnomad · 5/10 · 22 January 2019]

A man gets caught in an apartment as the zombie apocalypse kicks off. He is safe, but alone.

Now I would start of by saying this is very well made. The production, camera work and acting is all great. I quite like it when films shrink down the scope to a few rooms. I like everything about this film, except having to sit through it.

The underlying themes of this film is companionship and boredom. The film demonstrates this very well. But in doing so makes for a very lonely, boring film.

Watching a man slowly lose his mind from loneliness is not particularity engaging.

There is no survival aspect, no action.

This is a very quiet, considered, hipster film. There is nothing wrong with that and I am glad the people who enjoyed it, enjoyed it. I can see why they did, but this is not the experience I want when I put a zombie movie on.

Spoilers but an alternate view of the movie

[careyethomas · 4 January 2019]

So I just watched this movie and wanted to come here for a take on the ending. Then i had an epiphany. The whole "it is just a dream" thing may actually apply here. At first I thought it was a straight up zombie movie. But there were disparate pieces when you put them together indicate that it was about his relationship. Often times writers/directors want to make commentaries but wont get the viewers unless there is something that appeals to the masses. Think of District 9 as an example or Starship Troopers. But think back to the beginning of the movie. There is a reason for the whole broken relationship angle. The apartment itself and the elevator are symbols of Sam being trapped within his feelings. He is reluctant to escape and move on. Then think of his constant attempts at "suicide" with attracting the zombies. He didnt have to lure them back continually but he did because parts of a person wants to die after a breakup. Remember his rant with Alfred? He was talking about being alone and the actor conveyed that hurt appropriately. Finally, the girl he meets represents opportunity. He shoots her down because he doesnt want anyone else. But in his dream within a dream, he realizes that he does have to move on. He tells her that she is right and has been right all along. He cant stay trapped in the memories of the breakup. He releases the inner him that is trapped in the elevator. Sam could choose to accept his fate once he is trapped in the elevator instead. But he doesnt...he escapes. He does want to live/love again. He is willing to take a leap of faith literally figuratively. At the end he realizes that he has moved on to the next building/relationship. However, they all are the same as he looks out to his future with the same pitfalls. Is he willing to love again and move from building to building? The writer/director leaves that up to the viewer. The road is rough and we dont know if he can or is willing to do it.

Introspective zombie survival

[stevelomas-69401 · 7/10 · 5 January 2019]

Its well acted but when the only survivor of a zombie apocalypse is a self-absorbed, unlikable upper middle class French muso (who makes mindnumbingly stupid survival decisions) then the film looses credibility.

Its also useful that French zombies have short attention spans when we get into the avaunt garde music.

It's a party (not)

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 17 January 2019]

The whole thing starts off with lots of people, but you can feel the loneliness of the main character. So the tone is set from the get go, even with all the stuff happening around us. After the initial start and night though, there is a lot of small and silent steps the movie takes. For some this may feel like the movie drags out.

It's just the pace of the movie of course. So while you are not "wrong" for feeling one way or the other, the movie stays true to itself. It's how you like that genre and the way the movie handles itself. If you stay with it, I guess you can say you get rewarded. Not in a big flashy way, but you knew that already ... violence is key, though the drama part of the movie is way bigger. Creepy, silent horror sneaking up on you ...

Fresh-feeling zombie flick

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 19 January 2019]

THE NIGHT EATS THE WORLD is yet another spin on the overworked zombie genre, this time told as a very low budget, small scale French movie set almost entirely in an apartment block in Paris. It follows a single protagonist through an as-it-happens type plot, and I admit that I found the whole story and set up thoroughly interesting; somehow it takes you closer to the action by reducing the scale. Generally this is well shot throughout, and the zombies themselves thoroughly menacing; the main problems come from slow spots in the storyline and an unlikeable lead character. Otherwise, this is pretty innovative, and I hope to see more like it.

Paris once looked more lively.

[peterp-450-298716 · 7/10 · 13 September 2018]

The hardest part is... not knowing what's happened to them.

If there's one horror genre that pops up ad nauseam, it's that of zombies. Not a month goes by without a release in which undeath feast on innocent non-infected fellow humans. Since the cult film "Night of the Living Dead" by George A. Romero, a countless number of zombie flicks have already been made. Every once in a while they try to give it an original twist to make it more comical or profound. So that for once the emphasis isn't on the bloodthirstiness and the jump scares. Something like "Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies" or "Warm Bodies". These movies bring a smile to your face rather than scaring you. Others try to put in some more melodrama as in "Maggie". "The night eats the world" (original title "La Nuit a dévoré le Monde") is such a film that tries to follow an alternative path in the zombie genre. Just like in "Dead within", the film deals more with the psychological state of mind of a survivor than about the destructive character of the infected persons.

Let's introduce Sam (Anders Danielsen Lie) who dozed off in a back room during a party of his ex-girlfriend. And then he wakes up the next day in an abandoned flat where seemingly a chaos has broken out. Everything is a mess as if everybody left in a hurry and the walls are smeared with blood traces and splashes. Soon he discovers that the streets of Paris are taken over by a mob of zombies. Gradually he realizes that he's lonely and abandoned in the building and that he must do everything he can to survive this holocaust. And that's what you are presented within this movie. A portrait of a solitary survivor whose daily routine slowly turns into a rut. The isolation and loneliness take their toll.

For those who associate a zombie film with bloody scenes and nerve-wracking moments, it will rather be a disappointing film. I'm sure that the words "boring" and "annoying" will be the most common terms used by seasoned zombie fans. But admit it. If you end up in such a situation, you will also have a limited daily life, resulting in a tedious dullness. A walk in the park around the corner, going for a newspaper or drinking a cup of coffee in a local bar are all options that belong to the past from this moment on. Because after the slightest noise, a whole myriad of mutilated zombies will be rushing towards you to consume you as a snack. In itself, the zombies don't look so terrifying but rather moronic and stupid. Only the lack of growling or making creepy noises makes it rather frightening. So don't expect any ominous sounds, bestial growls or threatening teeth chattering.

If you really aren't a fan of zombie movies and you leave skid marks in your underwear every time you see such a hollow-eyed creature appearing around a corner, I guarantee it, you can watch "The Night Eats the World". You won't experience a shuddering moment. The only thing you will feel is compassion. You'll feel sorry for Sam. How he slowly withers away and gradually comes to terms with his fate and the fact that he can't go anywhere. His only problem is his food supply and the lack of company. That's why he keeps an infected old man locked in a blocked elevator and uses him as a partner in dialogue. And to kill some time (how appropriate), he uses the apathetic looking zombies in the streets as a target to improve his shooting skills with a paintball gun.

Even though his part isn't filled with entertaining dialogues or fascinating conversations, Anders Danielsen Lie manages to play a whole range of emotions in a convincing way. I thought the cunningly added twist was quite obvious. Don't you think you'll become delusional from such a secluded existence and the constant fear of an upcoming assault? The behavior of certain undead can even be called hilarious at times. And the relationship between Sam and his trapped neighbor is at least surprising. All in all "The night eats the World" is an original film with a unique view on the zombie genre.

I hate when I feel I've wasted my time when a movie ends.

[brenswee · 4/10 · 9 August 2019]

Who wrote this?!

I can certainly suspend belief for a movie. But the lead in this film must be the dumbest character of the decade. In the immediate aftermath of a zombie apocalypse what does he do? Starts cleaning the floor of the apartment he's been trapped in. What a priority. Add to this the fact that he puts on headphones to listen to things while there are zombies about. I think he even sat with his back to the door once, with those headphones on. Next idea? Let's have a good ol' bashing on these loud drums. Light an uncontrolled fire in the building? Check. Waste of time? Check.

Good Zombie Horror

[Pairic · 7/10 · 4 January 2019]

The Night Eats the World: We've all been there, you go to your ex-GF's apartment to collect some stuff, there's a wild party in progress. You don't get on with her pesent BF, you bump into someone, you end up passing out and between booze and tiredness you really could sleep through a Zombie Apocalypse. Well, that's exactly what happens to Sam. He wakes to find the apartment wrecked, the walls smeared with blood. He is attacked by his now Zombie Ex but escapes.

The streets of Paris are strewn with wrecked cars and bodies, just like the aftermath of a yellow-vests riot. Wait! Are those yellow-vests shambling about and biting the few survivors? No, it's the Zombies. Sam makes an apartment habitable and settles in for a long lonely wait. At least he doesn't have to worry about annoying people with drum paying but it does attract Zombies. Sam seems to be the last person left alive in Paris.

Nothing much new in this film and all of the action takes place in one apartment building, it's roof and the nearby streets. But Director Dominique Rocher has delivered a good horror film with convincing Zombies and an interesting reflection on the reality of life alone in the aftermath of an Apocalypse. 7/10. On Netflix.

Could have been awesome...

[abcd123az · 5/10 · 28 June 2019]

Excellent to start with, but with one MAJOR flaw, the electric supply was still working, er why didn't he listen to a bloody radio or TV to find out what was really going on? Even if it was just an emergency broadcast.... seriously... these script writers...

I just had to turn it off half way through, he should have checked his phone, or a TV/Radio like in the first half... The bloody elecrtric supply was still functioning... omfg...

A great horror film title

[justahunch-70549 · 7/10 · 20 November 2022]

The Night Eats the World is a more serious and realistic "walking dead" film from France. It's also pretty good, though it has it's flaws including a very unrealistically timed demise of one of the characters. Our hero here also seems to have seen a few zombie movies as he seems to understand what he is dealing with rather quickly. That nitpicking aside, this is a good film in this genre, but it is not really an action film if that is what you are expecting, though there is some. The lead actor, Anders Danielsen Lie, is very good and is quite a guy in real life. He clearly is musically inclined, as indicated in this film, and he is a practicing medical doctor and I would bet a pretty popular one especially after starring in the recently acclaimed The Worst Person in the World. This is more a study of a man trying to retain his sanity in a world gone mad than the usual bloody & violent films about dead people who just won't quit. It's not among the most exciting zombie movies, but it is among the more thoughtful ones. I liked the ending.

Way to slow.

[jamiekressinger · 4/10 · 6 January 2019]

Not sure what to say really. It's just a slow and boring zombie film. I've seen reviews about it being a breakthrough in the genre and that it's about a revolving character or a character study.

No it isn't, it's advertising itself as a zombie apocalypse movie. But it just hasn't got what it takes. If you wanna watch a man alone for and hour and half indoors, then It's for you.

It's not really a zombie film...

[mreffgee · 7/10 · 8 March 2023]

Based on other reviews, it seems that most people like zombie films for the superficial thrills and horror aspects they provide. That's fine. I can enjoy them at that level, too. In my opinion, however, the best zombie films are the ones that use a zombie infested world as a symbol for something deeper. Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead are prime examples. The former uses the genre to articulate the dangers of unthinking American conservatism; the latter warns us about the soul-destroying nature of consumerism.

The Night Eats the World is another example of this type of zombie film, though its meaning is a little more personal and psychological. Instead of grand ideas about politics and challenging the status quo, the film explores the growing trend toward social isolation, withdrawal from life and fear of failure. If you reframe the zombies in the film as a mere representation of the characters inner turmoil and view is actions as a psychological response to the threat, the story that is being told becomes quite different to what is literally shown on the screen.