CPIFF 2026 Short Film Review “Come The Nightfall” It’s a trip back to the 80’s style of slasher film that defines the horror genre to this day
WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW:
First, the Recap:
First impressions and hidden proclivities. Sounds like an odd pairing, right?? What we see on the surface can be more than deceiving when seeming innocence masks evil. If we might encounter someone that has such a demeanor, how quickly will we make a decision that, one way or the other, could spell gratification….or our doom? AND, what if said person whom this all applied to might be more…familiar…to us than we ever imagined?
In a small town, life is being upended by some rather heinous crimes that has everyone on edge. Enter Bill (Tom Michaels), a man whose generally affable nature would not cause anyone to believe he is anything other than what he appears. On his way home, he spots “damsel in distress” Joanna (Jade Warwick), offering to help her out. With a veiled yet evident licentiousness about him and hesitant but wryly aware manner about her, Bill and Joanna’s evening is about to get….interesting!!
Next, my Mind:
As I continue to have some more recent encounters with the horror genre that are outside my personal preferences, I cannot deny there’s a strange fascination with them which manifests. Films that embody the traditional “slasher” style corner of this massive genre tend to turn me off, only as overt amounts of blood and gore just don’t agree with me. However, when there’s perhaps a little cleverness, some purposeful (or at least potential) misdirection involved, things can elevate a bit and at least add some entertainment value. So, now referring to this 23-minute short film from writer/director/executive producer Tom Michaels, producer Joel Hogan, executive producer Catherine Spencer Tiffany, plus associate producer Isaac Rowe, I have to admit…color me surprised and unexpectedly entertained.
 The narrative sees a town suddenly besieged by an abrupt increase in dastardly incidents that sends a salacious local man into an encounter with a woman in need that may or may not precisely go the way he’d planned. It’s a simple enough approach, nothing in itself overly original, and this is what began to concern me….at first. BUT, as the story progresses at speed, things began to take shape that at least caused this critic to ponder what EXACTLY the ultimate outcome was going to be. Top this off with a primary twist that does lend itself well to the fashion of horror the film represents, and you are hence ushered into a genre piece that provides everything one would anticipate, while also perhaps transporting us back to the 80’s methodology for its core execution, visual dynamic, and even music score stylings that certainly creates that decade’s ambiance.
It is a little more difficult in itself here to necessarily delve into “deeper” thematic elements that go beyond the surface, only in that, frankly, there aren’t really many to do so. This is not remotely a knock on the film, as sometimes, things just are what they are. We could certainly at minimum ascertain that it isn’t good to go home with strangers, nor is it ever good to automatically assume that you “know” someone, or could just “figure them out” hastily and believe things are just going to go well! Of course, the horror genre THRIVES on such conspicuous naiveté, especially the “slasher” realms. The facets of just HOW creepy someone who is unhinged can be does stick out here with high effectiveness. Think of it as the standard cautionary tale of what NOT to do when in real life while sitting back and relishing the pure, foolish ignorance of people in situations as depicted, being thankful YOU are NOT that kind of person!
In, I feel at least, true indie film M.O., the director of this effort steps away from behind the camera lens to be in front of it, here in the form of Michaels and his role as Bill, a small town man of means who just SEEMS “off” from the first time you see him, becoming more emphatically pronounced as events transpire. When on a particular evening he comes upon a woman in need of assistance, using his innate charm and somewhat “everyman” appearance to offer assistance that she accepts, things take a turn as their now shared night ensues what will assuredly define WHO each of them is…and what it all reveals! I absolutely appreciated Michaels’ performance here, as he very much oozes the magnitude of creepiness that is necessary for Bill’s character to showcase, unsettling AND entertaining as well!
Warwick is likewise a shining example of what we initially might interpret as the prototypical “helpless female” in a film like this, but instead offers some nicely delicious depth and more acute awareness of what her situation could ACTUALLY be through her role as Joanna. IN a more “standard” circumstance involving her car being broken down on a lonely nighttime road, her encounter with Bill holds the expected hesitations about who he is and whether she can trust him. Choosing to do the latter, it doesn’t take long for her to realize he may not be the “good samaritan” he tries to come across as, yet she herself ALSO might not be what SHE appears either, levels of what seems like gullibility not quite accurate. How it unfolds is what gives this film some legitimate, if still uncomplicated, tension, and Warwick brings both a femme fatale AND scream queen vibe to bear perfectly.
Supporting turns are made here first by Vanessa Beck as a woman who is really THE catalyst for everything we see occur in the film, and she does make an impression right from the start that allows what happens to adeptly linger with you. Mitch Taylor arrives as the owner/operator of a local convenience store who Bill engages with and who more than has his opinions about what the events occurring mean to him. So, in total, “Come The Nightfall” definitely stands as an ode to and current testament of the horror film world’s foundational style, tropes worn with secure confidence on its bloody sleeves, while providing solid entertainment that should please fans of this design and course. Again, it is what it is, doesn’t try to BE anything else, and THAT is something I can certainly applaud for filmmakers for sticking with when it comes to the efforts they produce.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
