Movies News Talk
The 2017 post-apocalyptic horror film "It Comes At Night" by Trey Edward Shults left viewers debating its disturbing tone and dubious ending. Although the idea of the movie—a family trying to survive in a world devastated by an unidentified virus—is straightforward—the layers of symbolism and unspoken fears create a nuanced story that stays with viewers long after the last credits have rolled.
"It Comes At Night" has among its most confusing elements the uncertainty around the virus. Regarding the infection, its symptoms, or its causes, the movie offers scant details. The audience never gets a clear picture of what "It" really is or how it gets distributed. This deliberate ambiguity gives viewers an uncomfortable sense of mystery and lets them guess on the actual character of the virus.
Although the virus is not specifically defined in the movie, the way the people behave and the way the visuals capture several possibilities. The most obvious theory is that the virus turns people into popular horror movie zombies. Travis's dog Stanley's infection and aggressive, animalistic behavior as well as the characters' dependence on gloves and masks for protection help to support this view.
Alternatively, the virus might stand for something more abstract, such the widespread mistrust and anxiety that permeate the people living in a society about to fall apart. One could read the paranoid and suspicious atmosphere of the movie as a result of the psychological impacts of the virus, which finally causes the self-destruction of the characters.
Director Trey Edward Shults sought to leave viewers with unresolved questions, thus the uncertainty about the virus is intentional. The movie emphasizes the effect the virus has on personal relationships and the decisions people make in the face of uncertainty and anxiety rather than its particular form.
In "It Comes At Night's" heart-wrenching climax, Paul orders Will and his family from their cabin believing Andrew to be infected. The fight that follows finishes with Sarah shooting Will and Paul shooting Andrew and Kim. Paul's ingrained paranoia and relentless dedication to self-preservation drive this terrible deed.
Driven by a terrible need to protect his family, Paul shows a wary and suspicious attitude all through the movie. Believing Will and his family may be hiding the virus or planning to profit from their resources could pose a threat, he views their arrival. The hard reality of the post-apocalyptic society, where trust is a luxury and resources are few, fuels this paranoia.
Paul's sense of self-preservation trumps any remnant of compassion or humanity when he grows convinced that Will's family is sick. Seeing them as a threat to the survival of his family, he decides to kill them to guarantee their protection. This act emphasizes the main ideas of self-preservation in the movie as well as the terrible results of unbridled paranoia.
Over "It Comes At Night," Travis suffers a sequence of unsettling dreams that mirror the film's tense mood and hint at its tragic ending. Often mysterious and surreal, these dreams provide a window into Travis's inner conflict and worries as well as the group anxieties of the characters confronting a fatal virus.
Travis seeing Will with dilated eyes—a possible indication of the virus's presence—is the most important dream he has. This dream foreshadows the ending of the movie, in which Paul finally decides to murder Will and his family thinking they are infected.
Another important dream has Kim pouring bile into Travis's mouth, signifying the family unit's potential for treachery and the anxiety of contamination. Thus, the nightmares serve as a potent kind of symbolism emphasizing the film's examination of paranoia, mistrust, and the fear of the future.
The issue of whether Travis personally is infected throughout the movie gives the nightmares still another level of complexity. Should Travis be infected, his dreams might be a sign of the psychological impact of the virus, so hinting to his final fate. This reading would highlight even more the film's central theme of self-preservation since Travis finally falls victim of his own worries and fears.
"It Comes At Night" forces its viewers to face the terrible subjects of the movie with its eerie, dubious ending. The film's dedication to uncertainty and its examination of the sinister side of human nature highlight the several unresolved issues at the conclusion.
Although the movie's ending leaves viewers with a great sense of loss and the knowledge that survival comes at a great cost even if it offers no clear answers regarding the virus or the fate of the characters. Paul has driven his family into a spiral of hopelessness and given his humanity up in search of self-preservation. The last scene of the movie reminds us of the possible results of unbridled suspicion, mistrust, and merciless survival hunt.
Originally, the movie had a nightmarish scene with Travis falling into hell, but its uncertainty and possible confusion for viewers finally caused it to be dropped. Though still subject to interpretation, the last ending grounds more on the realistic world of the movie and offers a more forceful ending for the trip of the characters.
"It Comes At Night" is a great meditation on the human condition in the face of existential dangers, not only a horror movie. The movie looks at issues of self-preservation, paranoia, mistrust, and the possibility for human cruelty in trying conditions.
Driven by a basic survival instinct, the characters make morally dubious decisions since they The movie shows how the search of survival might corrupt even the most well-meaning people since it investigates the thin line separating self-preservation from selfishness.
By means of its chilling investigation of human psychology, "It Comes At Night" invites viewers to consider the actual meaning of survival and the cost we are ready to pay for it. The film is a terrible and provocative experience since its uncertainty lets people interpret it anyway they like.