BY NIGHT’S END

Directed by: Walker Whited

Starring:  Michelle Rose, Kurt Yue, Michael Aaron Milligan |

Heather and Mark have recently moved into their new house, looking for a fresh start after the tragic death of their daughter. Late one night they are confronted with  a burglar called Parker, and are forced to kill him in self defence, but not before they learn that he had hidden something valuable in their house before they moved in…

With little to no fanfare, By Night's End has snuck out and revealed itself to be one of the best thrillers of the year.

As the film opens, we meet Parker, on the run from the police and possibly others. We see him enter then house that eventually Heather and Mark will own, but we have no idea what or where he has hidden the package. Then we meet Heather and Mark, and it is immediately apparent that there are issues with them. Mark is currently out of work and Heather finds herself morally and ethically torn because she is aware of some shady dealings being done by her company. They are very worried about their financial future.

When Heather and Mark find themselves confronting Parker when he breaks in, he offers them $10,000 to help him. However then he draws his gun and Heather is forced to shoot him. The knowledge that something valuable is located in the house stops them from immediately calling the police and instead decide to search the house for an hour, knowing full well that the later they leave making the call, the more suspect they will seem. What they don't realise, at first, is that Parker wasn't working alone, and has a number of associates waiting for him to come out with the goods. The delay causes a visit from Moody, a very mean and seemingly well-connected individual who isn't above using murder to make his point.

What becomes very clear is that Heather is the alpha between herself and Mark. Not only is she the sole breadwinner at the moment but she used to be an army sergeant working as a bomb disposal expert and is able to rely on her training to function in a crisis. Mark is also wracked with guilt over the death of their daughter; even though he wasn't actually responsible for it, he feels that he could have prevented it. Despite the tense situation they are both in - or, because of it - the pair find the time to finally confront each other about their respective coping techniques: Mark's apathy in finding work and Heather using alcohol as a crutch.

The film doesn't dwell on the personal dramas too much though and there is plenty of action and tense set pieces throughout the running time. There are some short brutal close-quarters fights between Heather and in particular a guy twice her size. You can see that Heather is relying on muscle memory, the counter attacks are almost instinctive. She takes a lot of punishment but you can believe in her ability to win the fight.  The climax also fits In a brilliant sequence which had me punching the air when it happened.

Technically this film is very well put together. It utilises every part of the house, finding new nooks and crannies to explore with the camera. When Heather is stalking the bad guys the camera tracks their movements through the house, from the outside looking in, as if we the audience are a surrogate Heather.

The Performances are great also. Michelle Rose in particular is wonderful as Heather. She has a background in stuntwork as well as acting and brings a great physical performance here. My fave scene, other than the great finale, is her talking to Moody and getting more information out of him than he does of her. Michael Aaron Milligan as Moody is a great foil though. He must have a slightly romanticised idea of his profession as he wears a cowboy-style hat and flamboyantly decorated jacket.

THE VERDICT

There have been a lot of home invasion themed thrillers over recent years, even recently with the likes of Becky (review comiing), but As Night Ends proves to be an exemplary example of the genre. I wasn't expecting to have my socks blown off watching this but they truly were - As Night Ends is a very tight thriller with great characters and some shocking moments throughout. If it weren't for the pandemic, this would in all likelihood been one of the sleeper hits of the year. As it is, I urge you to try this out.

9 out of 10 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

MikeOutWest