Coming Home in the Dark

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Coming Home in the Dark

2021

1h 30m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

64 Reviews

45%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

A family's idyllic outing at an isolated coastline descends into terror when high school teacher Alan 'Hoaggie' Hoaganraad, his wife Jill, and stepsons Maika and Jordon unexpectedly come across a pair of murderous drifters -- the enigmatic psychopath Mandrake and his hulking man-child accomplice Tubs -- who thrust them into a nightmare road trip. At first, the family's terror seems to be born of a random encounter with two sociopaths, but as the night drags on, Hoaggie and Jill realize that this nightmare was set in motion 20 years earlier.

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Critics Consensus

Smart, well-acted, and above all scary, Coming Home in the Dark finds first-time director James Ashcroft making his mark with a white-knuckle ride for horror fans.

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Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

Oct 15, 2021

3.5/5

It's Gillies' performance that raises Coming Home in the Dark from fascinating to utterly chilling, complimenting Matt Henley's cold, angular cinematography and John Gibson's score.

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Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

Oct 1, 2021

2.5/4

The filmmaking and acting talent on display is undeniable.

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Noel Murray

Los Angeles Times

Sep 30, 2021

Ashcroft and his cast - and especially Gillies as the menacing and charismatic Mandrake - excel at drawing out the moment-to-moment tension of a crime in progress.

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Kalu Oji

ScreenHub

Sep 9, 2026

3.5/5

Although it may start and end with a sunset, Coming Home in the Dark presents a world that is far from paradise. Truly a film for the brave of heart.

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Paul Lê

Tales from the Paulside

Jul 23, 2023

3/5

Coming Home in the Dark never lets up until the very end. The suffering is extensive, and the sorrow is ceaseless. There is only so much people can take before they have to look away out of fear for their own wellbeing.

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Mitchell Beaupre

Awards Radar

Sep 22, 2022

2.5/4

With his debut, Ashcroft shows a knack for bringing visceral thrills to a genre audience craving some gnarly fun in the middle of the night.

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Leonard E

@RT22414378 Sep 2, 2026

BORRRRRRRING. DO NOT LISTEN TO THE POSITIVE REVIEWS, THIS MOVIE IS SUPER BORING, ABSOLUTELY NOT A THRILLER. SUPER SUPER BORING AND THE VILLAINS ARE SUPER DUMB. ENDING IS SUPER DUMB. TERRRIBLE FILM

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thomas B

@rotten.Thomas Aug 29, 2026

So good, I love Ashcroft’s counterintuitive endings that make me think. He’s always getting me to look off center.

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Craig W.

@CJWolfe27 Sep 8, 2025

Watchable thriller, could have been better but still good nonetheless

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Hiran G

@RT85059363 Jul 28, 2025

it's a thriller. not sure why it's got horror tag. it does a pretty good job of it till the end. but it fails to provide details that could have made the visiuals superior.

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Dustin S

@SaddamMustaine Jun 27, 2025

This is not a horror movie, it’s a thriller, and it’s pretty damn good.

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Diet Dr. Paul .

@RT85301401 May 31, 2025

A combination of Eden Lake and The Landmine goes click… this is a genre bender than will carve itself into your bones and linger long after the credits roll. Smart, Twisted and incredibly unsettling, this isn’t a movie for the weak stomached, be warned!

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James Ashcroft

Director

Daniel Gillies

Mandrake

Matthias Luafutu

Tubs

Miriama McDowell

Jill

Erik Thomson

Hoaggie

Frankie Paratene

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Coming Home in the Dark: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A family's idyllic outing at an isolated coastline descends into terror when high school teacher Alan 'Hoaggie' Hoaganraad, his wife Jill, and stepsons Maika and Jordon unexpectedly come across a pair of murderous drifters -- the enigmatic psychopath Mandrake and his hulking man-child accomplice Tubs -- who thrust them into a nightmare road trip. At first, the family's terror seems to be born of a random encounter with two sociopaths, but as the night drags on, Hoaggie and Jill realize that this nightmare was set in motion 20 years earlier.

Director: James Ashcroft
Producer: Desray Armstrong, Mike Minogue, Catherine Fitzgerald
Screenwriter: James Ashcroft, Eli Kent, Eli Kent, James Ashcroft
Distributor: Dark Sky Films
Production Co: Light in the Dark Productions
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Australian English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 1, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2021
Runtime: 1h 30m

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