Fear The Night (2023)

Maggie Q Tries To Save Her Friends, And The Movie

Writer and director Neil LaBute (“American Gigolo”, “Billie & Billie (TV)”) brings to the screen Fear The Night, a movie in which Maggie Q (“Insurgent”, “Die Hard 4.0”) stars as Tess.

Tess is out of the army, a bad ass, unlike either of her sisters or any of their friends who all head to Tess’ family home, “in the middle of nowhere”, aren’t they always, for a bachelorette party.

Along the way Tess and one of her sisters stop for some provisions and end up meeting some leery-blokes who spout some sexist stuff to them before Tess steps in and gives as good as she gets.

On arrival at the house, some time later, it’s clear this isn’t Tess’s sort of thing. Whilst the rest of the women are enjoying themselves, including the stripper-chef, she’s sat outside watching the world go by.

However, when the arrows from a crossbow begin pelting the house, it’s up to Tess, with her army training to save the women from the onslaught that starts.

This could all have been fine, in fact, we could have forgiven the weak premise, we could have forgiven the fact that one of the attackers mentions they’ve been planning this for six months yet decides to do it when the place is full of people, or the fact that, despite having weapons, they don’t rush in to the house full of women having a bachelorette party.

We could have forgiven all these things and more, had there been some actual kick-ass action. Instead, it takes far too long for the setting of the scene, far too long for any action to begin.

Even when it does, it’s not very good. Fights end as soon as they’ve started and aren’t exactly the most inventive thing you’ll see. It’s all just a bit ‘meh’ and seen it before.

Right at the end we are treated to an epilogue, as the movie is in chapters, where we see Tess talking with a local sheriff about what happened. He recounts what she’s said and says he doesn’t believe it, not one bit. He’s right not to, you would do well to take his advice.