Coming Home in the Dark (2021): A Road Trip into Terror and the Weight of the Past

Some journeys don’t take you home—they take you back to the truth you tried to forget. 

Coming Home in the Dark (2021) is a haunting and uncompromising psychological thriller from New Zealand that turns a simple family outing into a brutal confrontation with buried sins. Directed by James Ashcroft, this chilling adaptation of Owen Marshall’s short story explores how the past can resurface with violent clarity—and how no one truly escapes its consequences.

The story begins innocently enough: a high school teacher named Hoaggie and his family are on a scenic drive through the countryside when they encounter two mysterious drifters. What follows is a terrifying descent into captivity and revelation, as the family is taken on a long, dark journey—both literal and emotional—by men who know far more about Hoaggie than they first let on.

What sets Coming Home in the Dark apart is its refusal to offer comfort or simple answers. The violence is swift, real, and deeply unsettling, serving as a mirror for the emotional scars left by institutional abuse and complicity. As secrets unravel, the film challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable questions about guilt, silence, and whether redemption is ever truly possible.

Tense, bleak, and unforgettable, the film combines gripping performances (especially Daniel Gillies as the icy antagonist Mandrake) with raw cinematography and moral ambiguity. It’s not just about who survives—but what remains when the darkness finally lifts.