*Because of the nature of this review spoilers are somewhat necessary.
While I do not put tremendous stock in Rotten Tomatoes scores, they can sometimes serve to tell a story. Such is the case for the excellent film by Trey Edward Shults,
It Comes At Night. The film was surrounded in controversy back during its release because many people felt that it was marketed in a deceptive way. Some in the horror community were disappointed by the film because it was not what they were expecting. They claimed that the movie failed in its execution, and many audiences openly spoke against the movie. They cited plot holes and profound disappointment as reasons. However, critical acclaim was high. As of this writing, the critical score on Rotten Tomatoes is at 87% while the audience score is at 44%. Before I delve into the film itself, I would like to make a suggestion. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion, but I think modern audiences are cheating themselves out of some amazing cinema experiences by not carefully considering the entire purpose of film. People went into this movie with expectations. They wanted something to be lurking in the darkness in a literal manner. When they did not get what they wanted, they decided that the movie was bad. I think it is a disservice to film to judge a movie based on an individual’s expectations. I honestly believe the best way to view cinema is with an open mind while simply taking what is offered and processing it as a whole. We certainly all have expectations, but if we can govern those we can gain much more from cinematic offerings than simple surface perceptions.
