Alone at Night (2022)

Alone at Night (aka 18 & Over) review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso

Alone at Night is a horror film with many ingredients that never mesh well. Here’s a film focusing on a remote cabin, a slasher in the woods, an erotic influencer, the Covid-19 pandemic, and a reality show within the movie. One would think that something decent might come together with all these compelling story aspects. Not only do they all fall flat, but they never amass into anything more than a meandering and mundane horror experience.

It doesn’t help that the central character is a bland woman who is hard to get attached to, especially for her career being so devoted to being artificial. Vicky works as a girl who films herself in sexual acts for money. Some of her clients are creepy people who demand more videos of her in baths and skimpy outfits. Others just want some company and learn how to dance, as with a decent guy played by Luis Guzman. Deciding to take a semi-vacation from the world, Vicky continues her work at a cabin deep in the woods. Unfortunately, frequent power outages make her work suffer. Even worse, the outages may be caused by someone stalking in the darkness.

That’s not a bad scenario for some solid frights, but this film never puts in the effort to make all of this work. The whole tone and direction come off like an amateur horror venture, to the point where I was hoping there was a satirical angle at play here that better-mocked convention. This was my hope when considering the cast at play. Pamela Anderson shows up as a sheriff and is given little time to camp up such a role. Paris Hilton shows up as a celebrity reality show host, and she offers no surprises, slipping back into the same persona she’s been playing for two decades. Even additions like G-Eazy and ASAP Nast are joyless cameos of passivity.

The repetitive motions of typical horror tropes become such a bore with how they are implemented. Cliches of the lights going out, jumpscares with visitors, and the door being open upon returning home are given no flair. I can only imagine this would delight first-timers who have never watched a horror movie. The whole Covid-19 pandemic setting adds nothing. It’s primary characters occasionally wear masks or mention they got a Covid test before a meeting. What was even the point of this? What does this add? There’s not even a lingering fear of getting sick in this scenario. A brief bit of concern from the reality show playing in the background is the most you’ll get out of this film. Also, the reality show is treated as a meta-narrative that all builds up to one of the weakest twist endings ever.

Alone at Night has a generic horror title and is an overly generic horror film. It has so much talent and wastes it all on a routine slasher picture that tries and fails at being relevant and playful. Gives this one a pass.