In filmmaker James Ashcroft’s scary drama, Coming Home in The Dark, Daniel Gillies is truly terrifying. Coming Home in the Dark is destined to be one of the year’s most messed-up (in a good way, in terms of horror films) films. This very effective thriller from director James Ashcroft premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, when it wowed and scared critics alike. That is not an exaggeration on my part.
Ashcroft should be on every major studio’s director’s list, since he does an amazing job here of milking the tension and suspense. Gillies is best recognised for his work on The Originals and The Vampire Diaries and his frightening performance here is almost unforgettably memorable. According to what we have heard from critics and reviewers and people who caught the movie at Sundance, the film will actually leave you speechless. People were genuinely surprised by where this film went, and I don’t believe you can ask for much more from a thriller.
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Coming Home in the Dark is essentially about a family whose pleasant picnic at a remote seaside turns terrifying when they stumble upon a pair of murdering drifters. The enigmatic psychopath Mandrake, played by Gillies and his massive sidekick Tubsdrag them into a horror road journey. At first, it appears to be a chance encounter, but as the night progresses, they understand that this nightmare began 20 years ago, and as they near the end of the line, Mandrake confesses the horrifying secret that has driven him.
Coming Home in the Dark, which Ashcroft co-wrote with Eli Kent and is based on Owen Marshall’s short tale of the same name, stars Erik Thomson, Miriama McDowell, and Matthias Luafutu. The twisted thriller will be released on Oct. 1 in select theatres and on VOD by Dark Sky Films, so check out the trailer below and be warned: this film isn’t for the faint of heart.