At their core,  humans have an inherent, resolute desire to know their roots: where they come from, who they truly are, and what their bloodline is. To have this knowledge is a luxury, as some will go their entire lives not knowing the answers to these puzzle pieces. The Long Night, directed by Rich Ragsdale, delves into the psychology and ramifications of this, when one character’s quest to find her family turns into a nightmarish fight for survival.

New York transplant Grace (Scout Taylor-Compton) is desperate to gain knowledge regarding the parents she never knew, so when an investigator leaves her a message with an invitation to travel to his home to hear information he has, she jumps at the chance. Along with her boyfriend, Jack (Nolan Gerard Funk), the two make the trek down to her old Southern stomping grounds.

The instructions given to her state that they are to let themselves into the secluded plantation-style home if he isn’t present. This should immediately throw off red flags to most people just on its own, and Jack points this out, but Grace is so determined to get insight on her family history that she’s all but abandoned common sense. 

Once they enter, the house is eerily silent, and their contact is nowhere to be found. Although there is obvious trepidation amongst both of them, they still take it upon themselves to explore the palatial estate. The novelty of the experience soon wears off, though, and Jack becomes more insistent to leave and abandon the entire situation. Grace persists, ignoring his pleas, maintaining that everything is fine, and their host is sure to show up soon.

As night approaches, the oddity of the situation they’re in only begins to unravel as strange occurrences begin to happen. Unexplainable, disturbing incidents involving snakes and a skinned cat left on their porch are finally enough to make Grace nervous enough to agree with Jack that they need to vacate the premises, and soon.

Of course, this is a horror movie, and you can probably guess what happens next. Once the characters determine they’re in a threatening circumstance that they want to escape, that’s when escape becomes impossible. While the obstacles they face in those first moments of panic are predictable and trite, this fortunately is the exception and not the norm for the film. 

When torch wielding, cloaked figures appear silently in front of the house, staring creepily in their direction, the intensity ramps up significantly. Grace and Jack are forced to fight for their lives against a sadistic cult, ancient, cursed magic, and an inescapable destiny that intertwines Grace in ways she never bargained for.

The Long Night FEELS as though it’s going to go one direction, but does well with taking the audience a different route than they likely were expecting. The plot unwinds at a pace that fits superbly with the tone of the gothic, deep South setting. It’s a movie that utilizes every aspect of filmmaking to create a mood and aesthetic for the overall story that completely immerses the viewer into the crazed, maniacal world portrayed on screen.

The score (Sherri Chung) and cinematography (Pierluigi Malavasi) are one of the strongest points of the movie, with dramatic, sweeping shots and swells that fit together in exquisite harmony. There are certain pairs in the industry who seem perfectly suited to work together in both style and creativity, and Chung and Malavasi are the very definition of this. Without their talent so expertly and lovingly placed into the fabric of what The Long Night is, it would surely be a very different experience altogether. 

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, it’s impossible to escape our destiny. Inevitably, our past catches up with us, despite our attempts to erase any trace of it from who we are. The psychology of this is the crux of what The Long Night is about, but only scratches the surface of what it is able to deliver, in both frightening and eerily beautiful ways.

8 Out of 10