After Midnight is a horror/romance film released in 2019. Yes, you read that correctly- horror/ROMANCE. The film, however, isn’t a comedy like Warm Bodies or just another Romeo and Juliet rip off. After Midnight has a very small cast and a small budget as well, but it does not lack for style or emotional power.
The film is set in the rural south and centered around a man named Hank. His longtime girlfriend has left him and the viewer gets to watch him fall apart, night after night, alone in a huge house inherited from his family as something tries to break in every evening. Is there really a monster outside? Is Hank just going insane from loneliness and feeling like a failure? Did he actually kill his girlfriend? Is she the monster? After Midnight certainly keeps you guessing and is slow with what it reveals. That tension builds to an unforgettable climax that doesn’t let the viewer down. Everything about the movie from the writing to the acting to the atmosphere are spot on and remarkable for the budget it likely had to work with.
Artful and insightful, After Midnight has a lot show us about the human condition and love. It’s a fun thrill ride that any fan of creature feature horror should put on their to be watched list.
