So these guys are out for revenge because they were abused when they were kids. Instead of hunting down the people that actually hurt them. They go out and look for a guy that pretty much had nothing to do with it. He was merely working at the school and only guilty of not reporting the abuse. I understand why they wanted justice but why kill the wife, kids and gas station attendant. These people were completely innocent. Turns out these guys were a lot worse then the people that abused them. The plot just seemed stupid to me. In the end instead of these guys killing their main target. The kidnapper turns on his friend and shoots him in the head. What the hell was that about. They killed everyone except the guy they were out to kill. Stupid.
142 Reviews
Unsettling
What-a-Punk26 September 2021
I understand why people are angry after watching the movie. Some say it's "pointless", but that is not lazy writing which makes it so, on the countrary. I think the idea of this movie is to show how crazy anger can be and how pointless the deaths can be, yet they still happen. I think the ending, which doesn't explain much, actually adds up to this point. Yet still, I felt unsettled by the ending, cause I really wanted some closure.
MEH.
frances_farmer015 December 2021
Okay, so it's 60/40 for me on this one. The acting is good. The 'gore' and shock factor is great (if that's your thing) All of the technical aspects are okay. That said, after watching it I thought to myself, *WHAT WAS THE POINT?* I don't want to include spoilers, but I found the plot itself very frustrating and unsatisfying. Would I recommend a watch? If there's not a lot else out there... sure. But I wouldn't go out of my way for it.
Sometimes the past can bite you..
ts-00006 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
That said.. Did the bad guys track this family down? Was it simply the son called his dad,the nickname & it brought up memories?
Did the kids get killed as revenge so the parents,well the father understood the bad guys pain?
Than of course,why involve the others?.. The gas station clerk or kids at the track? Wrong place,wrong time type thing?
I guess moral of story,they just blamed everyone for their choices.
Really.. Just so many questions & holes,in some of the plot.. It wasn't something that did not make real sense,but why so many years later?.. Maybe to kill his kids,at same age of abuse- Eye for an eye.
Lastly,did the wife survive in the river?
Why didn't the bad guys partner(basically silent follower),take some kind of action sooner than way after the fact? All the violence,of that night anyway could of been prevented.
Cinematography was average & actors chosen was ok,as was their acting.
Was ok seeing it once,but not worthy of another viewing.
Did the kids get killed as revenge so the parents,well the father understood the bad guys pain?
Than of course,why involve the others?.. The gas station clerk or kids at the track? Wrong place,wrong time type thing?
I guess moral of story,they just blamed everyone for their choices.
Really.. Just so many questions & holes,in some of the plot.. It wasn't something that did not make real sense,but why so many years later?.. Maybe to kill his kids,at same age of abuse- Eye for an eye.
Lastly,did the wife survive in the river?
Why didn't the bad guys partner(basically silent follower),take some kind of action sooner than way after the fact? All the violence,of that night anyway could of been prevented.
Cinematography was average & actors chosen was ok,as was their acting.
Was ok seeing it once,but not worthy of another viewing.
A lot of potential
bubbsy218 August 2021
This film is one of those that is frustrating because it is so close to being great but it just can't get there. The majority of the performances are excellent, the cinematography is beautiful, the concept is intriguing, the biggest let down is the plot.
Whilst I have no issue with a slow burn plot, the issue I have with this film is the repetitive scenes that take place and cause the progression of the story to be unnecessarily slow. Basically there are 5 different instances in the film were a character attempts to escape from the two captors. Granted some of these scenes are shorter than others but as you can imagine, the failed escapes get rather dull fairly quickly.
I would have rather had scenes of plot progression, better dialogue scenes or more flashbacks examining the core point of the film. I think if less screen time had been spent on people running through forests or down dark roads I would have been more invested. Instead it was just frustrating. After the second attempt it became pretty clear the main character was not going to manage to get away, as then the story would not be resolved, and all the following escape scenes became redundant and therefore had no emotional impact.
Credit where it is due, the film wasn't bad and there were elements that were excellent. I just wish there had been more of those and less chase scenes.
Whilst I have no issue with a slow burn plot, the issue I have with this film is the repetitive scenes that take place and cause the progression of the story to be unnecessarily slow. Basically there are 5 different instances in the film were a character attempts to escape from the two captors. Granted some of these scenes are shorter than others but as you can imagine, the failed escapes get rather dull fairly quickly.
I would have rather had scenes of plot progression, better dialogue scenes or more flashbacks examining the core point of the film. I think if less screen time had been spent on people running through forests or down dark roads I would have been more invested. Instead it was just frustrating. After the second attempt it became pretty clear the main character was not going to manage to get away, as then the story would not be resolved, and all the following escape scenes became redundant and therefore had no emotional impact.
Credit where it is due, the film wasn't bad and there were elements that were excellent. I just wish there had been more of those and less chase scenes.
Intense and Sometimes Shocking
travisthegrimm1 February 2021
I really did enjoy this film. It was brutal, tension filled, and I liked the fact that these many acts of violence weren't just "cause we wanted too" but that there was an actual reasoning behind it.
The directing was brilliant, the sound design was spot on, the performances were top notch... my only complaint is the script. It starts off so strong but loses its way towards the end. I think for a film that answers most of your questions, the ending just leaves you with more that you didn't even know you had. I also think the running time was just a tad bit long.
But these are just my own opinions. I truly think if you love thrillers or slow burn horror (this film definitely gives off horror vibes) than it is definitely worth your time.
The directing was brilliant, the sound design was spot on, the performances were top notch... my only complaint is the script. It starts off so strong but loses its way towards the end. I think for a film that answers most of your questions, the ending just leaves you with more that you didn't even know you had. I also think the running time was just a tad bit long.
But these are just my own opinions. I truly think if you love thrillers or slow burn horror (this film definitely gives off horror vibes) than it is definitely worth your time.
Tale of retaliation. That is not very well thought-out.
Otkon5 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I suppose the main theme is that revenge is too often blinding and unhoned to the point of taking out innocent people. And dig two graves...blah blah blah. But that is hardly a reason to make a supposedly serious movie with so many half-conceived main characters.
Are we meant to have any sympathy for Tubs and Mandrake as to care about the force driving them and the plot when they appear to be simple killing machines with no sense of vengeful focus?
Because if this body count is what happens when it's just a guy who knew about (but didn't report) the horrors they suffered - as is implied, did they wipe out the towns and every living relative of the people who actually did the evil deeds that created them? (You know the unfortunately pretentious Frankenstein reference that is entirely out of context.)
There is danger in making the motivations of killers haphazardly known as this movie does. It is clearly trying for a very Southern Gothic story. In fact, the plot is heavily in the style of Flannery O'Connor. But even she knew to never reveal the "why" because irrational antagonists with an unknown motive are far scarier.
That's why this movie doesn't work for me.
Are we meant to have any sympathy for Tubs and Mandrake as to care about the force driving them and the plot when they appear to be simple killing machines with no sense of vengeful focus?
Because if this body count is what happens when it's just a guy who knew about (but didn't report) the horrors they suffered - as is implied, did they wipe out the towns and every living relative of the people who actually did the evil deeds that created them? (You know the unfortunately pretentious Frankenstein reference that is entirely out of context.)
There is danger in making the motivations of killers haphazardly known as this movie does. It is clearly trying for a very Southern Gothic story. In fact, the plot is heavily in the style of Flannery O'Connor. But even she knew to never reveal the "why" because irrational antagonists with an unknown motive are far scarier.
That's why this movie doesn't work for me.
a drama story inside a horror story...that worked out!
bluetzin18 June 2022
Maybe my english isn't that good.. but the dialogues were weird and most of the time didn't make any sence... it was hard to understand what they were talking about even with Greek subtitles.. haha... but if i skip this, the movie was pretty good.. it had some brutal scenes that came up out of the blue, it had a dark back up story and what did happened is food for thought about violence, about revenge and what i finally kept on mind is that doing something bad and do nothing to stop something bad, live on the same place. It's more like drama but with strong elements of horror! It's a movie for 6 stars but i 'd give one more for two reasons, it was a New Zeland production and because action started up quickly without boring intro stuff...
Why?!?!?
dukecitydoors30 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
So to make everything "Right" from the abuse, let's make everyone we run into suffer. Really? Crying about abuse abuse abuse then kills all the teens. The acting was great. But the senseless killing?????????? WHY?!?!?!?!?!?
Pointless?? No story?? Were you watching a different film??
rokchik079 December 2021
No, this isn't action packed but that's ok because it's DOES have a story and it DOES have a point! I don't think the people who thought otherwise watched past the first 20 minutes! If you like a gritty and sometimes gruesome thriller, give this a watch. Yes, there were a few plot holes but nothing that really made a difference to the film. Dark and meaningful. I would suggest watching with subtitles on though, because some of the important dialogue is quite mumbled!
Not worth your time
lafebre-8030726 September 2021
This starts out as a Funny Games style horror thriller but soon gets bogged down in rather preposterous plot machinations. The lead bad guy is quite good but that doesn't make this film worth watching. It's worldwide gross was $59,000. Says it all.
Bleak and brutal thriller from New Zealand.
ocosis21 November 2021
Easily the darkest and most intense road movie I've seen since Robert Harmon's The Hitcher. Great acting, cinematography, the lot. There isn't much light here, given the circumstance of the story. But it comes highly recommended, as it completely drew me in.
Coming home in the dark
marinaant-3621724 November 2021
I only decided to watch this movie because of Daniel Gillies and I also read some good reviews and it was indeed good it kept me in agony all the way until the end it wasn't boring at all the actors played their roles perfectly, honestly since the beginning it left me in shock I won't spoil, though I wish it had a better ending.
Violent, pointless and stupid story
gustheaffen4 December 2021
Gross violence with a psychopath and a story that is not remotely interesting. If you want to see people viciously killed for 90 minutes this is for you. There really is no surprises or twists either, ends ridiculously.
Stupid, boring, lame
Rickinator6925 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Starts off on a road trip with the family singing 99 bottles of beer and telling ancient knock-knock jokes. Let's just say it doesn't get any better. The kids, especially the carefree one, seemed liked the only thing of any reedeming value. Once the kids were killed it took away all the positive character. Unpleasant stiff Mom had something up her ass, helpless loser Dad couldn't even try to protect his family. Now all we have are two reprehensible characters and two bad guys, one of which is seen walking around outside in his underwear flicking water on himself. LOL! Stupid. Boring. Lame.
Smacks
jeroduptown14 October 2021
Peter Collinson's atmosphere for funny games
searchanddestroy-115 February 2022
The scheme of a couple abducted by a group of psychopaths reminds me OPEN SEASON and PENTHOUSE, in a disturbing, nasty, insane atmosphere, where audiences feel dizzy nearly all long the movie. It is not always very clear and fully explained, you have to watch and listen it very closely. Not for all audiences, not for Hollywood crap films fans. Don't watch it with your parents in law around the poultry, this is not entertainment. This is actually a complex psychological study which maybe needs to be seen several times. This is not a gore, horror movie, nor a thriller, perhaps more a bloody and brutal drama. There is also a bit of Michael Haneke's FUNNY GAMES, but just a bit.
Fell flat, too much unbelievable behavior
pacocharte11 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Starts off well enough, and in a very Haneke-esque early "twist" things get serious quickly. Well, it was a bit too much like "Funny Games" in the setup for me, so it already was lacking some originality.
The acting is good, but the script just wasn't believable. Sure, I get that there was some major abuse of boys at these old camps/schools for wayward or orphaned youths, but the level of both the revenge motive and the violence that one of the main characters is willing to engage in was completely unrealistic and I couldn't suspend my disbelief any longer after a certain reveal. It just got stupid at that point. That kind of person would be in a prison for other serious crimes and not roaming the countryside much less by some miraculous chance running into one of the former teachers aides who wasn't directly involved in his trauma to begin with. Meh, sorry couldn't buy that.
All said and done, it was professionally produced, the soundtrack/score are good and the acting, again, was very good by the mains. It was just too far a bridge to cross for me and I've seen too many films that do the festering revenge thing much better than this screenplay did. 5/10.
The acting is good, but the script just wasn't believable. Sure, I get that there was some major abuse of boys at these old camps/schools for wayward or orphaned youths, but the level of both the revenge motive and the violence that one of the main characters is willing to engage in was completely unrealistic and I couldn't suspend my disbelief any longer after a certain reveal. It just got stupid at that point. That kind of person would be in a prison for other serious crimes and not roaming the countryside much less by some miraculous chance running into one of the former teachers aides who wasn't directly involved in his trauma to begin with. Meh, sorry couldn't buy that.
All said and done, it was professionally produced, the soundtrack/score are good and the acting, again, was very good by the mains. It was just too far a bridge to cross for me and I've seen too many films that do the festering revenge thing much better than this screenplay did. 5/10.
Tense thriller
PedroPires9021 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
After that first act, it was (almost) impossible to be as impactful for the rest of it's duration. There are other scenes that worked very well (gas station, the drifting car, tense dialogue in the car), but those deaths before the car journey will stay on my memory forever. It's very rare to be this surprised on a film these days, but this came absolutely from nowhere. Was it smart? I don't know. I would probably save it for a bit later, even if I understand the intentions.
The film is VERY tense and Gillies is absolutely perfect as the villain and a very interesting counterpoint to Luafutu (also great, but on a totally different role). However, what impressed me the most was the direction of James Ashcroft on his debut. He clearly knows what he is doing, from beautiful to unexpected plans (open plans, close-ups, doesn't matter, the guy seems an expert!), using colours and silence close to perfection, always with the help of a great score to tonally identify the situations.
I can't say that I'm totally convinced by the very ending - even if I loved all the open questions that we still have about "the encounter" - and I have some reservations about the acting of two main characters in the way they reacted to that episode on the first act (I am sorry, but as a parent, I would never react like that, there is nothing to lose anymore, just jump, scream, spit, bite, don't know, whatever!).
Either way, this a great debut and I believe a lot of people will revisit this film on the future when Ashcroft becomes a big name.
The film is VERY tense and Gillies is absolutely perfect as the villain and a very interesting counterpoint to Luafutu (also great, but on a totally different role). However, what impressed me the most was the direction of James Ashcroft on his debut. He clearly knows what he is doing, from beautiful to unexpected plans (open plans, close-ups, doesn't matter, the guy seems an expert!), using colours and silence close to perfection, always with the help of a great score to tonally identify the situations.
I can't say that I'm totally convinced by the very ending - even if I loved all the open questions that we still have about "the encounter" - and I have some reservations about the acting of two main characters in the way they reacted to that episode on the first act (I am sorry, but as a parent, I would never react like that, there is nothing to lose anymore, just jump, scream, spit, bite, don't know, whatever!).
Either way, this a great debut and I believe a lot of people will revisit this film on the future when Ashcroft becomes a big name.
Boring and Trash
BOOKSMART125 September 2021
This film should be included in the list of top 20 most boring films of all time. There are no thrills, suspense, or tension. It's one of those movies that takes a brain-dead sitcom scenario to the outer limits of what an audience is willing to tolerate.
Dumb victim....
popestreet100426 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I was entertained but it drives me nuts when the victim goes brainless. At one point the wife takes off running and the 2 bad guys give chase. You, me, and anyone with a half of a brain would open jeep door and run for for our lives, right?? What does this guy do you ask.... He sits there, grabs the cell phone from glove and tries calling the PoPo, and it's just a matter of seconds before bad guys come back. At that point I'm rooting for the bad guys to shoot the guy for being moronic. Also at the end he gives the bad guy a beating but doesn't finish the job, and just leaves the rifle beside the bad guy. Again, I'm hoping the bad guy shoots his head off for being that stupid.
Make it make sense!!!
Serenity30003 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
So two drifters murder two innocent boys and their mother and countless random innocent people all because they were abused as young boys at some school. None of the people that they murdered had anything to do with their abuse. Just senseless violence. Are we suppose to feel sympathy for these two losers? The husband is weak and did nothing when his boys were shot to death. The killing of the boys happens early and the rest of the movie is just filter space. I wish I could get the hour and 30 mins of my life back from watching this crap.
Entertaining, bold, shocking and complex - a gem
jtindahouse13 August 2021
I haven't always been the biggest fan of New Zealand films in the past. So I went into 'Coming Home in the Dark' a little guarded. By about the 20 minute mark in the film though I knew I was in for an absolute treat. There is a truly shocking scene early in this film that sets the tone for the entire premise. It tells us that nothing is off limits and nothing goes without saying from here on out. This is a seriously good film.
The best villains are always the ones you can sympathise with. You don't have to side with them or agree with them in any way, you just have to understand where they're coming from. 'Coming Home in the Dark' has two of the more expertly crafted villains I can remember seeing in a film in a long time. At first there's a bit of a 'Funny Games' feel about them, however as the film goes along we realise there is a lot more going on behind the confident facades than we first imagined.
I will not ever be the type to enjoy or praise a film simply because it is made in New Zealand. That didn't factor into my love of this film in the slightest. This film doesn't need that. It is more than strong enough to stand on its own. It is unpredictable, original, bold and layered. Not to mention a very entertaining ride at the same time that will have you on the edge of your seat. Bravo James Ashcroft. This is a gem you have delivered us.
The best villains are always the ones you can sympathise with. You don't have to side with them or agree with them in any way, you just have to understand where they're coming from. 'Coming Home in the Dark' has two of the more expertly crafted villains I can remember seeing in a film in a long time. At first there's a bit of a 'Funny Games' feel about them, however as the film goes along we realise there is a lot more going on behind the confident facades than we first imagined.
I will not ever be the type to enjoy or praise a film simply because it is made in New Zealand. That didn't factor into my love of this film in the slightest. This film doesn't need that. It is more than strong enough to stand on its own. It is unpredictable, original, bold and layered. Not to mention a very entertaining ride at the same time that will have you on the edge of your seat. Bravo James Ashcroft. This is a gem you have delivered us.
A simple story of revenge...
paulbkrpb6 December 2021
I'd class this film dark and gritty with a simple plot that unfolds as the film progresses. Didn't contain gore or horror, or a complicated story, just kept you on hold for the duration. Sure there were some times when you'd say to yourself why did you do that and other times why didn't you, but I'm more than sure rationale is quashed in life or death situations. I had no issue understanding the dialogue, sure Mandrake get a bit slang in parts but only momentarily in the beginning.
Open your mind a little. If you look outside the box you'll sometimes find some gems. The cinematography is splendid I have to say but in a location like New Zealand, how could it not be.
Open your mind a little. If you look outside the box you'll sometimes find some gems. The cinematography is splendid I have to say but in a location like New Zealand, how could it not be.
Validation of violence
jonasatmosfera1 October 2021
Ah....
Another revenge film.
This time the avengers are two (or one, it depends on how you see it) psychopathic thugs, getting revenge for something that happened in their past I guess we do not need this type of film anymore.
It is just violent and stupid and somehow glorifies violence when supposedly it has a purpose.
By the way, IMDB has too many fake reviews, because the film is pretty bad and the whole experience was depressing.
This time the avengers are two (or one, it depends on how you see it) psychopathic thugs, getting revenge for something that happened in their past I guess we do not need this type of film anymore.
It is just violent and stupid and somehow glorifies violence when supposedly it has a purpose.
By the way, IMDB has too many fake reviews, because the film is pretty bad and the whole experience was depressing.
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