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Family road trips can have their ups and downs. They can be fun adventures—time to get away from it all and enjoy some family time—though all that togetherness can sometimes be too much. But in the New Zealand thriller Coming Home in the Dark, any family tension is quickly overshadowed by a bigger, more dangerous threat.
Coming Home in the Dark sets off on a family road trip with school teacher Hoaggie (Erik Thomson), his wife, Jill (Miriama McDowell), and their two teenage sons. But what starts as a day of hiking and forced family togetherness takes a terrifying turn when a pair of drifters interrupts their picnic. The more vocal of the two, a man who calls himself Mandrake (Daniel Gillies), takes the family on a road trip of his own planning. And as they set out through the wilderness, it becomes clear that this isn’t just a random crime.
Even before Mandrake arrives on the scene, though, the tension begins to build. This family isn’t without their share of challenges—mostly in the form of a surly teenager who clearly doesn’t want to be there. And as they hike together through this vast, imposing landscape, something about the eerie solitude feels threatening. But those rocky cliffs are nothing compared to what’s waiting for them.
Mandrake is a terrifying figure. He’s often so cool and laidback—even soft spoken—yet he’s entirely unhinged. He smiles and chats about music and the scenery before turning around and killing someone. And he’s joined by Tubs (Matthias Luafutu), a quietly intimidating man who takes orders and often does the dirty work.
But there’s more to these men than just some need for random, senseless violence. And as more of the characters’ stories come out, they reveal the pain of abuse and betrayal. This isn’t just a simple story about a family who’s in the wrong place at the wrong time; it’s much deeper and more layered than that. And while the constant tension and torture makes the film shocking and sometimes even grueling, it will leave viewers with plenty to think about, too.
Coming Home in the Dark isn’t just another story about people who are terrorized during a day away. It’s a thriller that isn’t just straightforward, black and white. And in the midst of the slow-burning tension, it also offers a message about things like responsibility and accountability.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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