Getting back into the dating world after your spouse dies unexpectedly can be scary. Having the thing that killed her in your backyard can be worse. In Hayden Campain’s A Night In, a woman meets an older gentleman for a date night at home, only to come face-to-face with the horrors he is keeping secret.
You all know that I love bite-sized pieces of horror, and A Night In is the reason I’m glad to be married already. The dating world is full of surprises, some good and some bad. Here, dating serves two purposes, growing a relationship — or feeding an evil. He almost seems too perfect, this gentleman hosting his date. He is kind and considerate, making sure she feels comfortable. He even expresses his sorrows about his late wife. She is none with wiser.
A Night In goes from a casual romance (so casual, you almost forget the intro’s worried phone call from a friend) to downright bonkers when the man’s intent is finally revealed. The woman is given a spiked drink and upon waking up, must fight for her life against the monster in the woods. While I won’t go into much detail, A Night In shines in creep factor, not overdoing it with the monster or blood (which there is some). Much of the scare comes from knowing something bad will happen — we just don’t know how, when, or to what extent. When the music is turned up and she is handed a drink, we instantly know to be scared for her.
A Night In is dressed to the nines in quiet shots that turn a sly smirk into 13 minutes of fright. Everything from the music to the lighting keeps your heart pounding and need for survival going. A Night In is more than a date night, it’s the start of your new life now knowing what terrors lie past the treeline.
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