I see you "indie horror that takes place entirely at a house in the forest", and I get it, you have a friend with a cottage which helps cut costs on expensive sets or blocking off public spaces. And I'm okay with this, the woods has both a natural beauty and creepiness that can be effective regardless of how many times we've seen the backdrop. Carry on.

It Comes at Night follows in the footsteps of a lot of modern, A24, "elevated" horror, exploring familiar themes through a less than conventional lens. Restraint seems to be the name of the game here, primarily building off the fear of the unknown. Objects of terror largely remain off-screen, questions are raised but never answered. If you feel frustrated by ambiguity, this may not be the film for you.

Mostly it explores the tension between two families with surface civility, being pushed to a breaking point by extreme circumstances, calling in to question the morality of how far you would go to protect your own, and how much you can trust a stranger. It treads on similar themes as Night of the Living Dead or The Thing, with claustrophobic dread only exacerbated by the lack of trust for your fellow man. The performances are strong across the board, with a bottled up anxiety that feels like it's ready to burst at any moment, building towards a devastating finish.