She Came at Night

Like The Owners, She Came at Night relies on a fairly mundane theme, but one that the makers take their own way and serve up an unusual humorous piece that gives you chills, all the more so because it can relate to many of us. The film stands above all on the phenomenal, playfully theatrical performance of Simona Peková, who almost steals the whole thing for herself, and surely many a viewer recognised in her the mother of her dearly beloved half – although it is true that the film is a lethal cocktail of the most toxic qualities cumulated in one person. I was a little puzzled by why I think it’s an unfinished ending. I must not forget to praise the distinctive score. (11/26/2023)

Someone from the creators must have experienced this because it can't be invented. I say this as someone who has had a similar experience as the pair of protagonists. It's a perfect synthesis of meticulous screenwriting, confident direction, and precise casting. The trailers and media coverage during the premiere (and after the Czech Lion awards) actually hint at a horror parody, but when Valérie appears on the scene, I felt physically ill after ten minutes because Jan Vejnar and Tomáš Pavlíček embarked on a character study that is chillingly accurate. It's a pity about the dragged-out ending and the finale that fizzled out. (06/13/2024)

She Came at Night is a black comedy that transposes family and relationship experiences into an almost horror film based on the simple anecdotal premise of your mother-in-law coming for a visit, and the joke and the surprise work perfectly. Most likely the most interesting and entertaining Czech film of the year. [KVIFF 2023] (08/30/2023)

The mother-in-law is bitter, even if she were made of sugar. A cheaply and quickly made social and intergenerational statement. A horror in the sense of an invasion of personal space by burglars and energy vampires, where everyone is a victim and even the seemingly unclear are antagonists. What if the antagonist was also the one who, caught between two millstones or generally facing any problem, refuses to resist because it's easier to whine? There are toys on the floor, but they're smashed. Crocs, mustard, and a plastic bag from the grocery store... (02/22/2024)

A Czech unconventional black-humor home invasion. The film is strange in that the genre classification of horror is a misnomer, but what the main characters experience could be called horror, because it’s something you just wouldn’t like to go through. The star is Simona Pekova, she does a very good job. There is a kind of light psychological terror that carries through the whole film and to my surprise I quite enjoyed it. Fucking squaters! The finale could have been handled better, unfortunately no satisfaction comes in the end. (02/20/2024)