Grief horror or horror grief. However it goes, it seems like I’ve been watching a bunch of them recently. From The Woman in the Yard, Mr. Crocket, and Dark Nature, I’ve been on a roll. As with everything, if done correctly, this sub-genre of horror can produce some amazing movies. One of the best in this movie category, from what I can remember, would be The Babadook. There’s something cold, brutal, and menacing when you take the griefs and burdens of a protagonist and manifest them into some type of monster, real or imagined, on screen. Again, if done correctly. Unfortunately, After Midnight was not done correctly. It is a train wreck of a low-budget movie, though one I didn’t mind watching till the end just to see how bad the crash would be.

So, After Midnight is directed, written, and starred in by Jeremy Gardner. Basically, it’s a one-man show. So the story goes like this: a bro inherits a big dilapidated house, his girlfriend of 10 years moves in, his girlfriend one day disappears, the bro goes on a rage spree due to believing a monster is attacking his house, the girlfriend one day returns, they discuss their issues, they host karaoke night, and finally, a monster fight. The movie starts off slow and somehow gets even slower afterwards. Dialogue can be a bit awkward at times between Hank and Abby.

I guess one of the main issues I have with After Midnight is one that drew me to the movie in the first place: the monster. It’s completely obvious that the monster is used to represent the conflict between Hank and Abby’s relationship. Call it a “hurdle” that, in this case, Hank has to overcome regardless of what others believe. The problem? It’s completely pointless and not well thought out. The monster does not talk, does not think, and does not force Hank or anyone else to react or think differently. It’s just… there. The best part of the movie has got to be the conversation between Abby and Hank upon her return about why she left. At least it is something some people out there can relate to. In fact, I’m thinking that this might have been a better movie if they skipped the stupid monster part altogether and turned this movie into a pure romance and drama instead. Delete all the rage scenes along with Hank protecting the front door of his house with a shotgun, and instead go in the direction of Hank reflecting on his relationship over the years with Abby or him going on a mission to locate her; that might have been better?

And no, I did not forget to mention that horrible karaoke scene towards the end. Can they get any more predictable and cringe? It’s obvious they were hoping movie watchers at that point would somehow forget that the monster existed due to Hank’s singing only to ..*gasp*..have the monster tackle Hank out of nowhere. Seriously? After Midnight reminds me a whole damn lot of Dark Nature, a movie I just watched before this one. Both movies and directors have failed miserably on how to incorporate a monster to represent the grief, burden, and despair that goes on with the characters. Instead, they just willy-nilly add them out of nowhere because they can then call it a horror/monster movie when, in fact, the movie would have been so much better had they gone in a different direction to explore the range of emotions the protagonists go through instead. It somehow feels like they kept it old-school and couldn’t fathom the idea of creating and directing a horror movie without actually adding your typical monster in it.