After Midnight (2019) Review – A Creature Feature with a Romantic Heart

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are taking a look at romantic horror After Midnight (2019).

A romantic creature horror?

We’ve explained the ending to this one. If you need answers, check out our After Midnight Ending Explained article. It does contain spoilers so consider yourself warned.

“His current situation contrasts starkly against the vivid images of flowers and fun. He now finds himself the victim of a creature relentlessly tormenting him.”

After Midnight follows the story of Hank. Since his partner, Abby, has left him, he is haunted by a creature scratching at his door. Hank spends his nights drinking on the couch, watching the front door, shotgun in hand ready to fight off the otherworldly invader. His friends don’t believe him and think it must be a black bear. Hank, however, knows different and is determined to prove them wrong.

So this, initially, sounds like a fairly typical horror movie. Man is harassed by a creature; he grabs a shotgun and attempts to hunt it down. We have seen this before a million times. The involvement of well-regarded director Justin Benson (Resolution, Spring) as producer helps. Jeremy Gardner, who writes, directs and stars, is also no stranger to good horror. This movie has a decent pedigree and plenty of potential.

Hank’s memories hint at a relationship that was, at one time, perfect. His current situation contrasts starkly against the vivid images of flowers and fun. He now finds himself the victim of a creature relentlessly tormenting him. It comes every night and seems impervious to Hank’s efforts to stop it. We see glimpses of it through a hole in the door. Its growls suggest something with malicious intent making for effective horror. The early stages of the movie are both tense and intriguing.

So what’s the problem?

So why do so many people, seemingly, dislike After Midnight? Well, it is quite simple. At a certain point in the movie, it becomes very clear that After Midnight is not quite what it seems. About halfway through, you suddenly realise that you are actually watching a romance drama. Clearly, horror fans do not like to be victims of a bait and switch. This is something that filmmakers are doing all too often, lately. Horror movies that turn out to not actually be horror at all are common. Some are horror adjacent, others barely have a single horror element in them at all. What a con, right?

Despite this, After Midnight does manage some effective scares. Scenes where Hank is encountering the creature work well. Clever use of sound and anticipation make for impactful horror. Growls and something unseen, running heavily, prod the imagination. What could the creature be? How big is it? What does it look like? There is a decent level of tension. You are eager to find out what is going on. Don’t get me wrong, Hank doesn’t feel like a vulnerable protagonist. He is a hunter, after all. But his drunken state and inability to cope does lend him a sense of ineptitude.

“Growls and something unseen, running heavily, prod the imagination. The early stages of the movie are both tense and intriguing.”

It is clear that the things he is going through are troubling him deeply. The fact that his friends don’t believe him doesn’t help. He resorts to alcohol as a way of coping which further compounds the issue. Around the midway point, however, it becomes clear that this movie may not be what it seems. That is when the romance element kicks in.

Romantic kinda horror

Flashbacks to happier times suddenly seem more relevant than the creature’s nightly attacks. Hank confides in friends while attempting to drink his problems away. He can’t function without Abby and is falling apart. The cat he bought for her is missing, he doesn’t know how to deal with the bills for their business, he is reacting violently to strangers in the street. The horror seems far less of a concern. It goes from being a primary focus to being drip-fed in every now and then to keep genre fans happy.

After Midnight is, suddenly, a fully fledged romance movie and many of the people still watching will be left feeling a bit cheated. This is uneasy territory for a film that markets itself as horror to tread on. It is a sure-fire way to provoke anger and feelings of being deceived in some viewers. It only gets worse when we are forced to endure a baffling karaoke scene that is beyond painful to watch. Strangely enough, it is something of a microcosm of the movie, as a whole, and sums it up quite nicely. Like After Midnight itself, it is strange, a little awkward, and targeted at the wrong audience.

“Jeremy Gardner, as Hank, does a really good job. Brea Grant, as Abby, is even better, managing a performance that is totally believable and very convincing.”

I will take a brief second to point something out, here. How have I watched two horror movies that feature full renditions of Lisa Loeb’s Stay? Homewrecker did the same thing. What the hell is going on? Have I missed something here? It makes no sense! I feel like these movies are Rick-Rolling me but with Lisa Loeb. Either way, said scene is equally as bad and just as awkward as the one from Homewrecker.

Actually a decent movie

The thing that stands out about After Midnight, despite its somewhat deceptive approach to horror, is the fact that it is actually an enjoyable movie. As the first scenes kicked in, the somewhat cheesy presentation had me worried. The visuals felt cheap, the ridiculously loud music drowning out the speech provoked a few eye-rolls and the awkward flashback scenes reminded me of Mr Adler from South Park.

But then, it all sort of comes together. Jeremy Gardner, as Hank, does a really good job. He seems like a bit of a terminal loser at the start but you do empathise, somewhat, with his character as the movie goes on. Brea Grant, as Abby, is even better, managing a performance that is totally believable and very convincing in both moments of joy and turmoil.

Henry Zebrowski, as Hank’s friend Wade, is hilarious and experienced horror producer, director and actor Justin Benson’s turn as cop Shane feels suitably sleazy. There are a decent number of laughs, some genuinely authentic character interactions, decent pacing and a satisfying ending.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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