How ‘Never After Dark’ Dodges Horror Clichés: Shoot Well-Lit Scenes, Challenge Conventional Storytelling and ‘Pull the Rug Out From Under People’

Sep 25, 2026 11:00am PT How ‘Never After Dark’ Dodges Horror Clichés: Shoot Well-Lit Scenes, Challenge Conventional Storytelling and ‘Pull the Rug Out From Under People’

By William Earl

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William Earl

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©Magnolia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

As the title implies, “Never After Dark” is a horror film that isn’t stuck in the shadows.

“There’s something very tactile and direct, and a lot of it takes place during the day or at least fairly bright interiors,” writer and director Dave Boyle says. “We talked a lot about evoking darkness instead of just living in the darkness. Sometimes modern movies can be so extremely dark that there’s something that feels less satisfying about that. I’m not as interested in realistic-looking light as I am in light that’s evocative and dramatic.”

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