Nyctophobia (2024) – Film Review

Despite a few redeeming features, there’s a lot wrong with this film and, although it remains watchable, some of the scenes in Nyctophobia can be annoying because the behavior of the characters is not believable.

Nyctophobia begins with a short introductory section where two LA-based paranormal podcast hosts are discussing unexplained disappearances. All of the victims disappeared from their homes during the last year.

Lisa (Emily James) obviously believes something strange is afoot, while her co-host, Deniz (Murad B. Yunus), remains a card-carrying skeptic; telling her 800,000 people disappear every year. Then Lisa poses the question: “What about when an entire block disappears at one time?” She also points out the disappearances always happen at night and the neighbors say their electronics stop working.

Offering an explanation to the listeners who are unfamiliar with the subject, Deniz says there is a “creepy pasta” going around that began with an anonymous online post made by someone claiming to have seen a cell phone video of two girls—twins from somewhere in LA—who disappeared. However, nobody else has ever seen the video and the poster made no further posts.

Lisa counters her co-hosts arguments by telling him she has a copy of the video and asks him if he wants to see it. He does and, although the film got off to a good start, the rest of Nyctophobia is hampered by typically bad shaky-cam footage and questionable actions and behavior.

The three main characters are twins Rose and Azalea, played by real-life twins Bianca and Chiara D’Ambrosio; and Brooks, played by BJ Tanner. Azalea is a few minutes older than her sister but Rose appears to be somewhat more self-assured and have the more dominant character; and, unlike Azalea, she isn’t afraid of the dark. Brooks seems to be on such good terms with both twins, he’s almost like part of the family; however, he’s secretly in love with Rose and, although this is obvious to Azalea, Rose cannot see it. Azalea is also aware Rose is in love with Brooks, and does her best to help the two move forward with their relationship. Sadly, this is never going to happen because, as is the case with all found footage films, you know right from the start there isn’t going to be a happy ending.

The shaky-cam footage begins just after the three friends have graduated high school and are in a car heading back to the girls’ parental home, that appears like it may be high in the Hollywood hills. It then cuts to a scene where they are standing near the pool, still wearing their graduation gowns. At this point, it’s a happy video, with plenty of hugs and good humor.

Things start to get strange later that evening, after a dinner scene involving the Twins’  parents. Azalea and Brooks play a prank on Rose from within the bedroom closet, causing Rose to return to the pool area outside, where she notices the moon has vanished from the sky and, although there aren’t any clouds, all the stars have disappeared as well.

Then, after two years without speaking, the girls’ father, Thomas, starts talking. Their mother calls them inside, where he is struggling to say a single word: moon. Shortly after this, the lights go out and all the electronic devices stop functioning with the exception of Brooks’ phone, which continues to record the events and provides a much-needed source of light.

Looking out the window, the girls notice the entire block is in darkness, and Azalea catches a glimpse of something that scares her, but quickly rationalizes her fears and brushes them aside.

Possibly trying to make up for lost time, Thomas arrives in the room with the warning: “They’re watching us.” He repeats this over and over, helping to ramp up his daughters’ fear, until their mother whisks him away to their room in an effort to prevent further anxiety.

Still relying on the light from Brooks’ phone, along with a torch Rose has gifted to her sister, the three graduates try to wait things out till daylight and make the best of a bad situation, highlighting a plot inconsistency—everything that relies on electricity has stopped working. Brooks tells the girls his phone may be unaffected because it has an EMF-blocking cover, but what about the torch? That shouldn’t be working. However, it’s a simple electric device that does not contain electronics, so maybe this is excusable.

One of the best things about Nyctophobia is the threat remains unseen. When anything nasty happens, it’s always off-camera. The monsters in the dark don’t remain unheard though. The sound of something banging about or making strange strange noises is quite unnerving, helping viewers to conjure up a menace in their minds that may be worse than anything the film could present on camera. Scenes of people being dragged along the floor into the shadows, only increases the tension. Unfortunately, although these things work in Nyctophobia’s favor, they are not enough to compensate for the often unrealistic behavior.

At one point, Brooks deserts the girls because he wants to go home and check on his father. Although this is admirable, he’s aware there is something dangerous waiting outside, and his quest to check on the well-being of dear, old dad requires him to desert two maidens in distress: one of whom is he girl that he loves. This doesn’t seem rational.

In another scene, Rose and Azaleah’s mother goes against their pleas for her to stay, and dashes out into the dark in search of Thomas. Obviously not a Star Trek fan, she seems unaware that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one—even when the few consists of her two children who have their whole lives ahead of them.

Some of the worst scenes of terror also come across like a train wreck, with characters shouting things and repeating themselves in a kind of battle of the panics, that falls well short of being credible and can be as annoying as the character’s behavior.

I was only about five minutes into the film when I started to get the feeling I was not going to enjoy Nyctophobia, but I managed to stick with it, more through curiosity than anything else. I think this one is best reserved for those who have an ardent passion for shaky-cam movies and are willing to be unusually forgiving. If that’s not you, do yourself a favor, and choose something else to watch instead.