Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- oppressive
- foreboding
- paranoid
- late night horror viewing
- bleak movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's minimalist atmosphere, psychological terror, and refusal to show its central threat, while some found its ambiguity and brutality alienating.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The disease and dangers beyond the isolated house remain largely unseen, turning uncertainty into the central source of fear.
Paul's determination to safeguard his wife and son increasingly demands choices that erode his compassion and moral boundaries.
The families live in a secured rural house surrounded by forest, with locked doors, protective gear, and rigid rules governing movement.
The arrival of Will's family transforms an already fragile household into a tense environment of distrust, fear, and mutual surveillance.
Films like It Comes at Night, and why
The Road
shared post-apocalyptic isolation, contagion anxiety, and morally corrosive survival choices
The Invitation
shared claustrophobic paranoia, ambiguous external threat, and escalating mistrust within a confined group
A Quiet Place
shared minimalist horror, unseen menace, family protection themes, and dread built through withholding
The Survivalist
shared bleak survivalism, domestic pressure, and psychologically devastating human conflict after societal collapse
Movie Details
- Director
- Trey Edward Shults
- Release Date
- 2017-06-09
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (2701)
Cast
- Joel Edgerton
- Christopher Abbott
- Carmen Ejogo
- Riley Keough
- Kelvin Harrison Jr.
- Griffin Robert Faulkner
- David Pendleton
- Mikey
- Chase Joliet
- Mick O'Rourke
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is It Comes at Night about?
- An isolated father's ruthless defense of his family turns a post-apocalyptic refuge into a crucible of paranoia, contagion, and moral ruin.
- What is It Comes at Night like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of It Comes at Night as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is It Comes at Night violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in It Comes at Night as brutal.
- What did critics think of It Comes at Night?
- Critics broadly praised the film's minimalist atmosphere, psychological terror, and refusal to show its central threat, while some found its ambiguity and brutality alienating.
- Which films are like It Comes at Night?
- Films with a similar feel include The Road, The Invitation, A Quiet Place, and The Survivalist.
- How long is It Comes at Night?
- It Comes at Night runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch It Comes at Night?
- In United States, It Comes at Night streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
