The Town That Dreaded Sundown

Name: The Town That Dreaded Sundown
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Released: October 16, 2014
Duration: 86 min
Rating: 47

2014

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Mixed or average reviews based on 5 Critic Reviews

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Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Ratings

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6.9

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6.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Ratings

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The Town That Dreaded Sundown

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Movie Details & Credits

Orion Pictures | Release Date: October 16, 2014 | R

Summary: 65 years after a masked serial killer terrorized the small town of Texarkana, the so-called 'moonlight murders' begin again. Is it a copycat or something even more sinister? A lonely high school girl, with dark secrets of her own, may be the key to catching him.

Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Genre(s): Thriller, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 86 min

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Critic Reviews

Matt Glasby

Apr 13, 2015

Slasher smarts with guts and heart. Town is no Scream but it’s still one of the most entertaining, enterprising remakes in recent memory. Read full review

Empire Kim Newman

Apr 13, 2015

Smart, fun, mid-list horror with Scream overtones Read full review

The Playlist Drew Taylor

Sep 23, 2014

While The Town That Dreaded Sundown is ambitious and supremely weird, it fails to cohere into something more resonant. Read full review

Stephen Dalton

Nov 15, 2014

An initially promising genre reboot ends up feeling like a major failure of nerve. Read full review

Guy Lodge

Nov 15, 2014

This tediously metatextual exercise conjures few inspired jolts of its own. Read full review

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User Reviews

BrupcatBR

Jul 13, 2016

The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a meta-sequel and a kind of remake for the movie that released in 1976, both are slasher horror movies. The 1976 is basically just a slasher movie based on the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, which is a unsolved case to this day. The 2014 remake, which are theThe Town That Dreaded Sundown is a meta-sequel and a kind of remake for the movie that released in 1976, both are slasher horror movies. The 1976 is basically just a slasher movie based on the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, which is a unsolved case to this day. The 2014 remake, which are the one we're reviewing, is a meta-sequel, kind of like in our world. It's smart, really smart, specially on how it's a remake, and the way it is a remake. The movie is gory, as expected for a slasher movie. It contains superb art direction, visuals, cinematography, and one damn of a soundtrack. Not only that, but the movie has a really good feel to it. It talks about how the original 1976 movie brought all the tragedy, all the sadness, all the terrible memories of these murders back. It also can replicate the terror of the moment, and the sadness of the aftermath. The intro of the movie shows this, and it does so very well. The ending, while it didn't surprise me much, it was pretty smart. The way this movie overall worked was incredibly smart, in a way i could never predict. It remakes the scenes of the original film, and it does so while not being a remake. As a meta-sequel, it's absolutely incredible, and as far as remakes go, it's very good too, and by how it is a remake is a smart way. The atmosphere always sets up a lot of fear, more than any other movies. The movie contains great use of gore, as it's violent in a good way. The storyline is so far the most incredible thing about this movie, it's smart, emotional, unique, and it can easily rip off tears. This is so far, the best remake, if i can even call it one, and probably the best slasher flick of the recent years, and of course, a great meta-sequel, that brings truly incredible acting, thrilling moments, an eerie, creepy atmosphere, and overall is both a perfect remake, meta-sequel, and aswell as being a perfect slasher flick, that truly brings respect for Texarkana, both for the people who suffered and still suffers from grief from those events, and for the dead, and it feels like a caring, lovely tight hug for Texarkana, as it's able to be a unnerving horror movie, while still bringing as much respect as possible for the families of the victims, friends of the victims, and for the victims themselves. The Town That Dreaded Sundown, is an amazing movie, and it's truly a masterpiece that i must recommend, it's thrilling, unnerving, beautiful, amazingly well written and acted, and beautifully directed, with absolutely phenomenal art direction, soundtrack, visuals, and also, it's a truly smart slasher movie, that truly brings respect to the tragedies that occured in Texarkana, and recognizes how much the original 1976 film made them remember the sadness and bring the grief back, and this movie, while it kind of brings it all back again, it respects it fully, and it really knows how to show it does. The Town That Dreaded Sundown gets a 10/10.… Expand

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ScarTissue1990

Feb 15, 2015

Fantastic horror flick. Not just gory, but smart and gory. Starting to feel like the slasher genre is making a comeback. If you're a fan of horror films, watch this movie.

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brentwshelton1

Dec 28, 2014

This is an amazingly good reboot/sequel (it's a little of both). I actually did not see the original - however, in a clever premise the original movie is in important part of of the plot of the reboot and incorporated throughout. I really liked it because for the most part the tension andThis is an amazingly good reboot/sequel (it's a little of both). I actually did not see the original - however, in a clever premise the original movie is in important part of of the plot of the reboot and incorporated throughout. I really liked it because for the most part the tension and suspense is more in trying to figure out who the phantom killer is rather than gratuitous gore. I gave it a 9 because the killings, when they do happen, are rather graphic. The filming is awesome and the plot has some twists in so you are left guessing till the last minute.… Expand

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TheQuietGamer

Nov 27, 2014

A solid meta-sequel. The twists on scenes from the original are appreciated and I enjoyed how it was made low budget in order to capture some of the same feel as the first. The way it incorporates material from the 1976 original into it's plot is unique even if the tale isn't as compellingA solid meta-sequel. The twists on scenes from the original are appreciated and I enjoyed how it was made low budget in order to capture some of the same feel as the first. The way it incorporates material from the 1976 original into it's plot is unique even if the tale isn't as compelling as this time around. Still the weirdness and mystery to it all kept me interested in finding out what exactly is going on.

As far as fear goes it is sadly nonexistent. The tension is quickly drained out considering you can predict when and where the killer is going to pop up. You don't need to have watched the first to know when blood is going to be spilt. It can still be a solid slasher film though.

I do feel that a lot of my enjoyment of it stems from how much I liked the original. The way it uses the material of the first makes it feel like both a homage and a sequel. It also acts as both a remake and a reboot as well. It's very ambitious. Whether or not the first will influence your enjoyment of this I cannot say. I do know that it helped me.

There's aren't any scares, but overall I feel it's a solid movie. Even if you haven't watched the first you may still be able to find some thrills here. It's clearly made with great respect for it's predecessor, but there are things here that make me think it can stand on it's own as a decent slasher film. It's certainly one of the more unique ones in recent memory.… Expand

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juliankennedy23

May 3, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Town That Dreaded Sundown: 7 out of 10: Before I start with the spoiler let me say for the vast length of its running time The Town that Dreaded Sundown is a top quality horror film with good atmosphere and some genuinely top notch scenes. It is a remake of the mid-seventies “true story” slasher flick that, like the similarly themed Black Christmas, came out a few years before Halloween but simply didn’t have the magic of that meticulous movie. The remake intelligently folds the original film into its narrative by having a festival celebrating when the horror film was made locally and the movie opens in a drive-in theater at the heart of that festival.
Along with solid visuals, location shooting, and camera work the film sports above board, for the genre, acting. In fact, it is a delight to see Anthony Anderson back on the big screen chewing scenery and taking names. The late Ed Lauter, an actor you immediately recognize but cannot quite place, is also very good in his last role. (As an aside to this aside this movie also sports Edward Herrmann’s last role and while he doesn’t quite make the same impression as Ed in this movie he certainly fits the actor you immediately recognize but cannot quite place trope to a T.) Okay, Spoiler Alert. (Submarine alarm horn alert, interior perspective repeated twice.) The “reveal” for this film is awful. The movie simply cheats. You are supposed to guess which of our heroine’s friends is dressing up as an old serial killer and recreating his crimes. The movie spends a significant amount of time on this mystery. It turns out to be two people. The first is our protagonist’s boyfriend who is “killed” while they are about to have sex at the beginning of the flick. Why is he a masked serial killer? I think he claimed he was either was bored or wanted to be famous. His motivation is as weak as having him alive. I mean our heroine goes to his funeral the next day. Nobody noticed the body wasn’t him? Switching bodies doesn’t usually work during a murder investigation. Our other killer is the helpful and almost a love interest in his own right Deputy Foster who reveals (at the end of course) that he is the grandson of the killer… haha just kidding he reveals he is the grandson of the killer’s last victim named McCreedy. The film even takes the time to visit a local filmmaker historian to declares this unknown (and up to this point unmentioned) McCreedy relative may be our killer. The family was angry because his killing was left out of the original exploitation film apparently. (Fair enough I know the film claims they felt overlooked since the original murder. But come on people. My relative was brutally chopped by an ax and not hit by a train so our family needs um credit? It is a strange grudge to keep up for a year let alone over three generations.) Could the ending have worked? Well make the boyfriend's body disappear after being killed (and having authority figures secretly doubt our heroine till the next murders) is a tried and true technique that would have fit well here. Having Deputy Foster named Deputy McCreedy would have also gone a long way to creating suspense (Maybe that filmmaker/historian is right and if so the killer was at her house the entire time.) In reality, however, the biggest twin problems would still remain. Neither character has anything resembling a motivation to go around killing their neighbors and more damning they have absolutely no connection with each other. I have no idea how the jock boyfriend and the Deputy even know each other let alone are intimate enough to go on a secret killing spree together. Up until that point, the film is fun. It can be brutal and has some scares but it earns them honestly. The film is well acted with a nice progressive polish that one does not often see in one's backwoods slasher films. Overall a good movie that hits above its weight let down by a poorly thought out denouement… Expand

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BITESCREEN

Jun 22, 2017

Im schwülen texanischen Frühling 1946 tötet ein Killer in Kapuze fünf Menschen – die “Texarkana Moonlight Murders” bleiben ungeklärt. 30 Jahre später verbinden sich in The Town that dreaded Sundown blutige Tatsachen und Fake-Doku-Bilder zum vielleicht ersten Slasher überhaupt. Jetzt greiftIm schwülen texanischen Frühling 1946 tötet ein Killer in Kapuze fünf Menschen – die “Texarkana Moonlight Murders” bleiben ungeklärt. 30 Jahre später verbinden sich in The Town that dreaded Sundown blutige Tatsachen und Fake-Doku-Bilder zum vielleicht ersten Slasher überhaupt. Jetzt greift American Horror Story – Coven-Regisseur Alfonso Gomez-Rejon zum Stoff und dreht den Film zum Film zur Mordserie. Auch er streut scheinbar echtes Material in seine Interpretation, lässt das naheliegende Found-Footage-Format aber links liegen. Stattdessen prägen Warte, bis es dunkel wird bedrohliche Rottöne und stylische Perspektiven aus Gomez-Rejons TV-Vergangenheit. Obendrein kaschieren viel Splatter und Sex die dahinplätschernde und leider mäßig spannende Geschichte um eine Überlebende auf der Suche nach dem Mörder. Das erfundene Ende nebst Twist missen zudem das zähe Grauen des thematisch nicht unähnlichen Zodiac.… Expand

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ydnar4

Jul 28, 2015

The Town That Dreaded Sundown can't seem to figure out what it is. I never saw the original film and I feel like I missed a lot of things because of that. There were constant shout outs to the original. I was expecting a slasher film based on all the indicators I got from the posters andThe Town That Dreaded Sundown can't seem to figure out what it is. I never saw the original film and I feel like I missed a lot of things because of that. There were constant shout outs to the original. I was expecting a slasher film based on all the indicators I got from the posters and reviews but this film is more of crime film than it is a slasher film. This movies takes itself way too seriously considering it is a just a masked man going around and killing everyone. That was what made Friday the 13th films watchable because even though they weren't really offering anything new they were still fun. This film gets too dramatic and although I like the villain the rest of the characters are forgettable and so in the movie as a whole.… Expand

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