31 Days of Horror: After Midnight is a creature feature comfort movie

All of us have those movies that we rewatch. For me, After Midnight is one of those films. Co-directed by Christian Stella and Jeremy Gardner, who wrote the script, the movie is about a dysfunctional relationship and two people that want the opposite in life. It's also a creature feature where the monster is hardly shown. What makes this film such a mainstay for me is Gardner's performance as country bumpkin Hank and indie horror darling Brea Grant's role as Abby, who craves the big city and the culture that comes with it. Their performances are top-notch and I've seen very few films depict the challenges of a long-term relationship as well as After Midnight.

When the movie begins, Abby has gone MIA, leaving Hank home alone in his ramshackle family house in rural central Florida. He spends most of his days drinking or hunting with his buddy Wade (Henry Zebrowski), and in the evening, he warms a bar stool at the local watering hole where everyone knows everyone else, including each other's business, like the fact that Abby has gone missing. Meanwhile, late at night, an unseen monster claws at the door and growls, to the point Hank no longer sleeps and sits on the couch, shotgun loaded, waiting for the creature. Like any good horror movie, there are a lot of ways to read what the creature may or may not represent. It could be a metaphor for the festering relationship problems, or the self-doubt and anxiety that plague Hank, like the fact that maybe, deep down, he fears he's not good enough for Abby.

Eventually, Abby returns, and some of the dialogue she and Hank have on the porch stoop, over a beer, is so damn well-written. It says so much about their characters and what's driving the conflict in their relationship. She confesses that after visiting Miami for a reunion, she stayed there for the month to experience the food, culture, and music, while Hank waited and waited for her. Abby's problem is that Hank has no ambition to leave the swamp land. He's always lived in his family's house, and he'll likely die in that falling apart home. Yet, there are generally traits and qualities that they do love about each other, and they come to realize that by the movie's conclusion. They also understand that to make it work, they have to compromise. This involves Hank leaving the land he knows and yes, traveling, while Abby has to accept that family and deeply rooted cultural values mean a lot to Hank. They can't change each other, but they can accept each other, and again, Grant and Gardner play off of each other so well in this film.

Additionally, After Midnight has one of my favorite endings in any movie. Hank serenades Abby at karaoke with a cover of Lisa Loeb's "Stay." It's a heartwarming, slightly sappy scene, which is suddenly interrupted by a bit of horror. The scene also showcases just how well After Midnight combines genres, including comedy, horror, and relationship drama. It all comes together so well in that scene.

After Midnight is a work of really great indie filmmaking with performances by two indie horror mainstays, Grant and Gardner. It's also an unconventional creature feature with a strong script and a few surprises along the way, including one heck of an ending. It's a movie I'll continue to return to as a comfort watch, and because I'll always be a cheerleader for Grant and Gardner.

Stream After Midnight for free on Tubi and Pluto TV.