GONE IN THE NIGHT is an interesting story with a very recognizable cast. It reminds me of those random indie flicks you seek out at film fests. The character motives might seem a little unbelievable, and there are several eye rolling moments. It hits theaters July 15th but might hit better from your movie room couch.
Synopsis: Upon arriving at a remote cabin in the redwoods, Kath (Winona Ryder) and her boyfriend Max (John Gallagher Jr.) find a mysterious young couple (Owen Teague and Brianne Tju) already there — the rental has apparently been double-booked. With nowhere else to go, they decide to share the cabin with these strangers. When her boyfriend mysteriously disappears with the young woman, Kath becomes obsessed and enlists an unlikely supporter (Dermot Mulroney) with finding an explanation for their sudden breakup— but the truth is far stranger than she could have ever imagined.
Gone in the Night starts off splendidly with an organic, spine tingling awkwardness. It quickly moves into the meat of the drama with all the questions laid out on the table. Then, sadly, it bogs down a lot. You feel as if writer Eli Horowitz – who also directed – had a wild twist to get to and would do whatever necessary to arrive there. Even if it meant having the characters act out side the realm of normal.
Question. If you have been dating a much younger guy for about a year and he hooks up and takes off with a younger woman; would you fixate of tracking them down? It is hard to believe that Kath would. But she does. The film gains steam again once Mulroney shows up. His scenes and dialogue are the strongest. He adds some intrigue to the plot even if his backstory, again, feels a bit too convenient. Luckily he makes you believe it all with a well acted delivery.
Brianne Tju is fun to dislike in this one. At first she was my fave character but then soon becomes despicable. John Gallagher Jr. also delivers a joy-to watch character as Max. We all have friends like Max. They drive you crazy but you still invite them to all the parties. The glue to it all is Ryder. She is such a wonderful actress and no one gives you “that is just a real human living life” like Winona. I am glad we are seeing more of her these days.
GONE IN THE NIGHT is rated R for language and a few gruesome images. It is a fast, easy watch which doesn’t make you think much. If you can survive the odd writing decisions you should have fun with this one.
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