‘It Comes at Night’ is almost as bad as being there
Perhaps “it” refers to the fatal illness that is ravaging the world and that seems to have destroyed civilization.
In any case, this is an apocalyptic thriller, one that doesn’t show the apocalypse but the world that arises right after that.
Taking stock, knowing things, weighing evidence — these are all the products of calm reflection, of breathing room, of a safe space for people to think.
People retreat into their families and trust no one on the outside, etc.
There’s just one big problem here: “It Comes at Night” is about as enjoyable for the audience as it is for the people in the movie.
[...] one day — at night, of course — a man (Christopher Abbott) breaks in, and the family must take defensive action.
Written and directed by Trey Edward Shults, it represents the second time in the last few weeks that a film with a lone writer-director has run into the same difficulty.
In the absence of such answers, or the intimation of such answers, or even of characters in pursuit of answers, “It Comes at Night” begins to seem thin, a torment without purpose.
Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicle’s movie critic.