Most recent independent films I have watched do not have the heart which can carry over through over an hour of foolish actions and absurd dialogues. Nowadays, finding a campy film is tough but when I do find one, it is usually despised by most and liked by a chosen few. Shoddy low-budget special effects, a cast of forgettable characters, and a level of acting that would give Morgan Freeman a stroke, are all primary traits of the low-budget massacre that makes me warm and tingly. Breaking Glass Pictures‘ As Night Falls does just that and more.
Sisters Holly and Elizabeth are now at the home which was supposed to serve as their parent’s retirement home. With their father’s untimely demise, their mother is left working double shifts while the bills keep piling up. And to make things worse, the house is on the verge of foreclosure. What the siblings Charlie, Holly, and Elizabeth do not know is that the house they live in has a dark secret that is ready to cast its shadow. The murder of a little girl nearly fifty years ago is ready to crash an epic house party, forcing the family and friends to fend off a horrifying reality nobody expected.
As Night Falls is probably the only movie that does not claim to take its potential success far too seriously. Envision this, a film made with a robust cast of comedians, which ends up murdering the reputation of the film industry! The movie indeed was fascinating, but wow the laughs came from behind the camera and left the world confused. This isn’t going to be winning Oscars or turning anyone involved into millionaires, and boy does that come with a range of freedom. As Night Falls feels like that movie I always wanted to make with my best friends, but I was and still am far too lazy and drunk out of my mind. While the editing and special effects were horrible for an independent feature, it will all be forgiven for the brilliant cast that gives it their all while being killed in ways that flip the viewers stomach upside down.
The portion of the film “As Night Falls,” by Dirty Black Trio, is expertly crafted to complement the film’s content, and I enjoyed it popping up at different moments.
“As Night Falls” is great because it manages to squeeze a lot of humor. And, in my opinion, many independent films lack humor as of late. When a producer, director, and a whole cast of people take themselves too seriously, we often get to witness the cringeworthy spectacle of people performing who should have stayed at their town’s dilapidated community theater. It’s great to see Shamil placed responsibly at the helm of affair and strapped with infinite budget and a loads star cast, and get all the scared and startled moments he can conjure, but at the end of the day see performers enjoying what they do is refreshing. Some people won’t like it, but I’m very hopeful for the sequel to As Night Falls.
Being a screener, there were no special features, but that did not stop me from doing the most important thing: rewinding the credits and adding “As Night Falls” to my playlist. That song is ridiculously catchy.
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