Once the horror begins, it is startling, scary, and suspenseful. The way Ouellette and directors of photography Michael Babyak, Jorel Odell, and Trevor Roach make the house a maze of creepy shadows, barely visible figures, and viscera will please gorehounds. The fact that viewers care about Dani and Kaitlin and are therefore concerned about their predicament will please A24 fans. But what makes this one of the best horror films of the year is the Romero-style commentary upon society and the insane things people do in the name of faith. The director ensures the film hits each of those horror elements in a way that feels organic to the story and these characters.
The cast of Straight On Till Morning innately understands their roles. Christian has a good singing voice and makes the whirlwind romance immediately believable. Once the terror begins, she turns out to be a scream queen for the ages. Tyer is understated at first, which works for the more reserved part of Dani. But when the actor lets loose, she commands the screen with sheer force of will and blood. Olsen has been a favorite character actor for years and years. As such, it is lovely to see her get a very prominent part as one of the big baddies. She’s menacing and crazy in ways that frighten. Hengstenberg matches her insanity beat for beat, creating a scary father figure. Gmur is massive and makes the most of his frame, becoming instantly terrifying. While Peabody and Simenc appear only briefly, they are quite good and serve as believable versions of the younger, crazy Bible-thumpers. Also, quick shout-out to the reunion of Olsen and Peabody, both from Krampus: Origins, despite not actually sharing a scene together here.
“…startling, scary, and suspenseful.”
Finally, this is a horror film full of blood and bruises. So, how is the special effects make-up? In a word: phenomenal. Rachael Wagner and her team create squids, bone protrusions, facial scars, and all manner of damage that look better than those in recent big-studio titles. Why? Because it is all practical here, while studios still seem convinced that CGI blood is what audiences want. But this, among other indie titles, proves just how untrue that line of thinking is.
Straight On Till Morning is a sweet romance, a scary horror flick, and an intelligent commentary on the hypocritical ways of those who consider themselves more pious than anyone else. The cast is terrific, the direction is strong, and the script is one of the smartest and most well-rounded indie horror has seen in quite a long time. No notes, this is as perfect as horror gets.
For more information, visit the official Straight On Till Morning site.
"…this is as perfect as horror gets."
