Two names that have been turning up a lot in my reviews lately are Jennifer Nangle (FOR JENNIFER, MALVOLIA’S MEMORABLE THANKSGIVING 2 ) and Charles Chudabala (UGLY SWEATER PARTY, THE CROSSING). Not only are they acting in plenty of indie shorts and features they’re frequently taking on tasks such as writing, producing, etc to make these projects happen. It’s a dose of energy and dedication the indie horror scene needs. THAT NIGHT features them as well as several other performers who are becoming familiar faces in genre films.
Rachel (Jennifer Nangle) and Josh (Garrett Lee THE QUEEN OF SCREAMS: A HALLOWEEN SPECIAL) are a couple with some issues. Attending a party thrown by Erika (Amanda Cano) and Scott (Raymond Vinsik Williams FROM JENNIFER, SERENA WAITS) doesn’t seem to be doing much to distract them from these problems.
Joseph R. Davis and Brian Gerson directed it, but in many ways THAT NIGHT is Nangle’s film. Apart from staring she also produced and wrote it with Lee getting credit for “additional material”. And as a showcase for her skills it’s certainly effective. Despite taking a bit to long to get into its darker elements the script is strong and kept me watching.
The entire cast delivers strong performances, which a film like this needs. Cano and Williams resist the urge to overplay their roles, something that would be easy to do given their nature. Nangle however has most of THAT NIGHT on her shoulders and has to deliver a wide range of emotions through some tough scenes and she pulls it off quite well. This is probably the most demanding role I’ve seen her in so far. It should make a good calling card for her.
I should also give a mention to the score by former Evanescence drummer Rocky Gray. He’s another performer who’s been making a name for himself, scoring several films recently including IN MEMORY OF and 10/31. His work here adds a nice edge to the overall mood.
THAT NIGHT is 26 minutes of grimness and brutality. It’s certainly worth a half hour of your time when it drops on January 31st.