Jennifer Reeder (director)
(studio)
18 (certificate)
82 (length)
10 March 2022 (released)
11 March 2022
The Covid lockdowns may well have had a bearing on the making of this film but it is never mentioned and it actually doesn’t need to be as this works just as well as a satire on social media, those who work within it, and those who watch it.
As Ken (Geno Walker) who was we learn over the course of the film has had a number of problems that have left him alone in a semi-derelict apartment trying to make a living via his self-help videos The trouble is he isn’t getting the hits so no revenue.
His life is routine lead with him getting up, coffee and exercise then down to the recording or stuffing birds. But after a bird falls off a shelf during a conversation with his friend Terry (Felonious Munk) and other occurrences he comes to the conclusion that the apartment may be haunted. A little research reveals that something did happen and further research that includes his ex-wife and her husband indicates that there is a thirst for this type of thing and that people are happy to pay for it.
Linking up with a host Dark Corners (Daniel Kyri) and advice from occultist Colin Albertson (Lawrence Grim) he begins to explore the possibilities of monetising his experiences building up to a live exorcism. All the while the noises in the flat are getting more intense with shadowy figures in the background.
Working from an ultra-low budget director Jennifer Reeder and writer Brett Neveu, Night’s End is a very niftily constructed thriller that has a genuine sense of creeping dread helped no end by a very effective sound design and shadowy visuals.
Walker is excellent in a subtle performance (that has him confined to the flat and a room) as we witness his slow mental disintegration, as his past begins to merge with the present. The budget is stretched towards the end with the visuals otherwise the build-up is sound.
Night’s End was presented at FrightFest Glasgow and will debut on Shudder on 31 March 2022.
