It Comes at Night

“It Comes at Night 2”: A Return to the Psychological Abyss of Isolation and Fear

In a chilling return to the bleak world of post-apocalyptic paranoia, It Comes at Night 2 deepens the psychological horror introduced in its 2017 predecessor. Imagined as a follow-up to Trey Edward Shults’ acclaimed psychological thriller, the sequel doesn’t offer comfort or resolution—instead, it expands the nightmarish atmosphere that made the first film so haunting. Picking up years after the events of the original, It Comes at Night 2 explores what happens when fear and mistrust are not only inherited, but transformed into something even more dangerous: belief.

The film centers on Travis, now in his early 20s, who survived the traumatic events of the first film. He’s hardened, quieter, and perhaps irreparably damaged by the choices made by his father, Paul. Living alone in the desolate wilderness, Travis struggles with visions—memories of the past, or hallucinations bred from isolation. When he crosses paths with another survivor, Ava, a woman with a young son, he is faced with the same moral dilemma that destroyed his family: to trust or to fear.

While the original film thrived on ambiguity, It Comes at Night 2 plays with perception even more aggressively. The disease that devastated civilization is still never seen directly, but its effects—both physical and psychological—loom larger. This time, however, there are rumors of safe zones, organized militias, and a cure. Ava believes in a place beyond the forests, a community immune to the sickness. Travis is skeptical, scarred by the consequences of hope.

Director Trey Edward Shults (in this speculative sequel) retains his signature minimalist approach: long, silent takes, dim natural lighting, and a soundtrack that pulses more with dread than action. The film's pacing is deliberate, drawing audiences deeper into the void of fear that surrounds the characters. Rather than jump scares or monsters, the terror in It Comes at Night 2 comes from watching people unravel—questioning who to trust, what is real, and whether survival is even worth it.

Thematically, the sequel expands the metaphor of infection. Where the first film portrayed fear and mistrust as contagious, It Comes at Night 2 suggests that trauma itself can be inherited, passed down like a virus. Travis, who once watched helplessly as his father succumbed to paranoia, now struggles to resist the same descent. His choices reflect the deep scars left by his past—and raise uncomfortable questions about morality, survival, and the human capacity for forgiveness.

Visually, the film remains stark and claustrophobic. Set largely in dense forests and abandoned houses, the world feels both wide open and unbearably confined. Every creaking floorboard, every breath in the darkness, adds to the suffocating tension.

Ultimately, It Comes at Night 2 is not a film about monsters in the dark—it is a study of the monsters within us. It offers no easy answers, no hopeful ending. It is an uncompromising descent into fear, and a powerful meditation on the consequences of survival at any cost.