Nightfall - A Paranormal Investigation - Festival Review

Blending moments of lingering, relentless dread with rapid fire shots of pure, nerve-shredding terror creates an unforgettable experience of horror cinema. Nightfall - A Paranormal Investigation comes from the minds of Australian filmmakers, Myles McEwan and Ripley Stevens, who are not only behind the director's chair but also in front of the camera, starring as paranormal investigators Mick Sutherland (McEwan) and Archie Charlesworth (Stevens). Since the film began making the rounds, the duo-directors have been compared to fellow Aussie, filmmaking twosome 'Racka Racka' (i.e. The Philippou Brothers), the minds behind 'Talk to Me' (2022) and 'Bring Her Back' (2025). This will come to no surprise to Nightfall - A Paranormal Investigation viewers, considering how atmospherically haunting and downright sinister the soon-to-be horror hit is.  

The film follows notable detectives of the supernatural, Mick and Archie, whose quest to investigate the otherworldly has led them all around the world on a ghostly tour de force. However, one case has remained with them to this very day since they inspected it back in 1988. Creeping up on them for decades, gnawing on their psyche and awaiting in the shadows - this is the harrowing story of Case 13.  

It is evident that McEwan and Stevens certainly know how to utilise horror as a cinematic weapon, with the film somehow both using, subverting, and brilliantly twisting every genre trope in the book. Every scene is drenched in this classic sense of intensity where the terror consistently manages to shock and startle us at every corner. Dually, with this comes a strange melancholy that is hard to achieve. Whilst fear and suspense are masterfully played throughout the film's well-crafted, deliberate jump-scares, every instance of fright is layered with a profound connection to the story. In other words, every scare, startle, and sense of unease is a calculated means to translate the film's emotionally bountiful tale. Nightfall - A Paranormal Investigation's careful amalgamation of trepidation with narrative significance, forces the horror to remain with the viewer for long after watching, tonally mimicking how Case 13 never left Mick and Archie.  

This slow-burn, chilling take on paranormal horror is further exemplified through the film's stellar performances, particularly those from none other than McEwan and Stevens, who add an emotional depth to the impactful film, amplifying the affective, disquieting nature. Psychological horror thrives on its internalisation of fear; how the film's happenings are not just objectively frightening, but how it particularly makes the individual feel themselves. This matter of subjectivity is performed with a subtlety that only the filmmakers could decipher, hence why McEwan and Stevens emit such emotional fluidity through their take on Mick and Archie.  

Another element that Nightfall - A Paranormal Investigation feeds off is its unique storytelling method. The film is not entirely found footage, nor a mockumentary, or even a canon example of traditional filmmaking. Alternatively, the film is a portmanteau of found footage and routine filmmaking. The film often cuts to found footage from the investigator's Super 8 camera of their findings, injecting the screen with an immersive, personalness that adds to the terrifying realism and immediacy of the horror.  

It is with these momentous factors that Nightfall - A Paranormal Investigation shines. The film is technically speaking stunning to witness, thanks to the immense cinematography, sound design and performances, alongside the poignant displays of complex horror that make for a striking cinematic experience.  

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