Event

Daylight

A harrowing psychological thriller from a widely acclaimed filmmaker, Daylight pits a couple lost in America against a conniving gang of kidnappers, in David Barker's rigorous and personal re-imagining of the genre film. Despite its familiar genre elements, Daylight is different a powerful, shocking piece of vigorous cinema, which fuses eroticism and tenderness with the harrowing weight of pregnancy and kidnapping.

On their way to a wedding, Danny and Irene pick up a hitchhiker throwing the film in the direction of the conventional rural kidnapper thriller. But with the skill of director David Barker and his miraculous cast and crew, Daylight emerges as much, much more than just another exploitation picture. Kidnappers Renny, Leo, and Murphy enact a bizarre and terrifying ritual of politeness, endowing such scenes as the passing of a bread knife at a kitchen table with a threat of ferocious violence but also trust.

"an unusually delicate psychological thriller . . . Critic's Pick!" - Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

"Daylight is a slow burn of a thriller that ultimately packs a far greater wallop than many flashier examples of the genre, and its cumulative power derives from the collective contributions of the entire cast and crew..." - Maitland McDonagh, Film Journal

"technically polished and genuinely suspenseful . . exceptional actors..." - Joe Leydon, Variety

"transcend[s] the easy shocks associated with the exploitation movie experience and create[s] an entirely fresh rhythm . . ." - Eric Kohn, indieWIRE

"psychological gamesmanship . . . us[es] the abduction scenario to evoke religious yearning . . . resourceful, taboo-prodding sickie." - Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice

"Favorably compared to the work of Michael Haneke . . . subtle and tense, with director David Barker infusing quiet eroticism and benevolence on the proceedings . . . compelling psychological drama . . . [Meierhans] is quite good . . . even some of the biggest names in the industry can't do this." - Christopher Bell, The Playlist / indieWIRE (gathered from two articles)

"Haunting terrifying a dramatic re-invention of the contemporary horror film."
- Ain't It Cool News

"SHOCKING an exceptional cinematic endeavor."
- We Are Movie Geeks