Coming Home in the Dark

A family's day out turns to terror after they're forced to take a sinister road trip by malevolent stranger Mandrake (Daniel Gillies, star of American vampire series The Originals) and his accomplice. What initially seems like a random attack proves otherwise, when secrets start to come to light. Writers Eli Kent and James Ashcroft (who also directs) adapted their script from a story by acclaimed Kiwi author Owen Marshall. Miriama McDowell (The Great Maiden's Blush) and Erik Thomson (800 Words) play the couple caught up in terror. The thriller premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews.    

A one and a half-hour gut-punch, Coming Home in the Dark is bleak, tense, and often unshakable. It sticks with you; haunts you. Leaves you feeling restless. Anxiety-inducing and frequently unpleasant, it travels down dark roads, and while you can likely guess the destination, getting there is no less unnerving.

– Critic Chris Evangelista, on website Slash Film, in a 7.5 out of 10 review, 31 January 2021

Key Cast & Crew

James Ashcroft

Director, Writer, Executive Producer

Daniel Gillies

As: Mandrake

Miriama McDowell

As: Jill

Matthias Luafutu

As: Tubs

Erik Thomson

As: Hoaggie

Desray Armstrong

Producer