The Long Night (also known as The Coven) is a horror film about a demon worshipping cult that was directed by Rich Ragsdale (The Loop) and co-written by Mark Young (Southern Gothic) and Robert Sheppe. While this had a good premise, it didn't really deliver, spending too much of its first half not really moving the plot along.
Grace (Scout Taylor-Compton - An Intrusion, Halloween) was orphaned as a child and has become obsessed with finding her real parents. Her search has led her to a remote plantation house in the deep south, where a man who lives there may be able to give her the information she needs. So the woman, along with her boyfriend Jack (Nolan Gerard Funk - Ghost Light, Riddick) travels there from their New York apartment in search of answers. They find the place deserted so decide to wait around to see if Grace's contact comes back. That night however, they find the place surrounded by animal skull wearing robed cultists, and soon discover that they have no way to contact the outside world to get help.
I like films about cults and devil worshipping, so I was approaching this semi-interested. Due to the way the cult acts it didn't make for the most exciting of films. They look the part at least, and I appreciate the creepiness of them just standing there silently, but when that is pretty much all they are doing they soon wear out their welcome. Much of the middle act is Grace and Jack walking around the house while freaking out about the intruders with not much more really happening. The third acts falls into arthouse territory with a series of flashbacks/hallucinations that Grace experiences that set things up for a finale that didn't really go anywhere that exciting. A shout out goes to the random book that falls off a wall at one point, which conveniently explains who the cultists are and what they are trying to achieve. Sure that was good to get that backstory, but I thought that perhaps it could have been provided in a better way.
The film was well put together which made me early on think this might turn out be ok. I enjoyed the first act with the couple journeying to the place, not that I felt that they made for a great couple, there seemed to be something off about their chemistry. I thought Taylor-Compton was good in her role, but the character of Jack seemed to fade into the background whenever there was more than just him on screen. There are a few other speaking roles (aside from their leader the cultists don't speak), including a fun little scene at a petrol station, and a stand out scene featuring Deborah Kara Unger (Silent Hill: Revelation, Silent Hill). There is a bit of action and a small body count, but mostly the film tries to deliver its horror with strange dream sequences.
I think if the cult had more bite than bark then The Long Night would have been improved. As initially unsettling as silent hooded cultists are, they soon lose their power to scare through inaction. With more happening during the second act, and a more streamlined and eventful finale this would be better, but as it is, at least it doesn't outstay its welcome. The Long Night is due for release on January 30th from High Fliers Films.
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