He Kills At Night - Festival Review

The dichotomy between festivity and horror is stark, yet when these two polar spectrums collide, an eerie, strange and unholy mighty force is unleashed. The subgenre of Yuletide frights is rife with some amazing classics. Think of the iconic slasher 'Black Christmas' (1974), the creature feature 'Gremlins' (1984), or Home Alone's older brother, 'Better Watch Out' (2016). Now, a new horror film steps into the lineage, embracing the tinsel-decorated, murderous mayhem that emerges from such a stunning clash of cinema. Directed by Thomas Pickering and written by James Pickering is 'He Kills at Night', a terrifying and intense rollercoaster whose twists and turns will have you in shock for days. 

The film unfolds on a bitterly snowy Christmas Eve, where a beaten Marie (Levi Heaton) comes across a car abandoned in the middle of the icy road. Unbeknownst to her, a dangerous man, Alan (Richard Galloway), is lurking in the shadows, waiting for his moment to pounce on the lone woman and force her to smuggle him out of the country in a bid to escape the heat of his deadly actions. What unfolds is a suspenseful tale of fatal secrecy, gift-wrapped in a foreboding cat-and-mouse-like game where the smorgasbord of tricks and deceit will have you guessing right up until the very last moment. 

He Kills At Night is relentless in its path to unnerve the viewer, with the horror emulating a psychological chase where it seems that anything could happen. No one is safe in the world that the director has formed. It is with this notion that the film takes stride; mind games are abundant, and the chilling pursuit for survival exemplifies the inherent primal fear that is driven by the narrative's unsettling power play between Marie and Alan. As the film unravels, we see the web of games that are spun between the pair reach a peak, where the dynamics between predator and prey are displayed in a terrifying manner. 

All of this intricate deception is home to an array of bombshell events, which become amplified thanks to the valiant choice of the setting. He Kills At Night primarily takes place in Marie's car, with Alan in the backseat, goading and taunting from the darkened shadows. The setting of a confined, closed space on a desolate road is utterly bone-chilling, with the vehicle essentially acting as a moving prison where the horror is both inescapable and extremely intimate. Not only are Marie and Alan stuck together, but so are we. Stuck with their spiralling mindsets and trapped with their fractured psyche. 

He Kills At Night has such an intriguing premise at play, but it also ensures that attention is paid to the overt stylisation and theming at hand - Christmas. This time of year is caked in light, joy and celebration, and it is through this subversion and juxtaposition where the horror thrives. The familiar feeling of festivity becomes distorted and abstracted to the point of 'disturbia' setting in. 

This attention to detail is a testament to the talents of Thomas and James Pickering, who together form a powerful filmmaking duo whose ability to conjure a menacing environment speaks to their clear admiration and understanding of what makes a good horror movie. From the get-go, the pair have proclaimed their lifelong love for the genre, with a particular nod to the homegrown passion derived from independent filmmaking and directors who have stuck to this principle throughout successful careers - think of the horror legend John Carpenter. Similar to Carpenter's ode to atmospheric tension and use of creativity to amplify the natural horror of an environment, He Kills At Night seeks its effectiveness in the raw elements of filmmaking. For instance, the film, with its boxed-in vehicular setting, dialogue-heavy narrative and its emphasis on psychological torment, becomes the perfect playground for nightmares to prosper. 

Whilst the Pickering's have carved a path for the terror to fester, the performances are what make He Kills At Night unforgettable. Heaton as Marie excels in this complex role, adding plenty of guts to this robust, multi-dimensional persona. Complimenting her extremely nuanced character is Galloway as Alan, the maniacal antagonist whose twisted ways come across as genuine and authentic to a particular type of evil, rather than being imitative of a cartoon villain. Joining the line-up is Isabella Percival, whose appearance is rife with applaudable emotional realism. 

All of the above is a product of hearty, indie filmmaking where a passion for creation is evident, infusing the story with countless elements of thrilling unease and slasher-like mayhem. He Kills At Night has most certainly earned its rightful spot amongst the Christmas horror greats, and is soon to be an absolute hit. 

Check out He Kills At Night, featuring an exclusive Q&A on Sunday, 28th September at 16:15, at the Dead Northern Film Festival.

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