Come the Nightfall (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

A beautiful woman, Joanna (Jade Warwick), is stuck on the side of the road, and, naturally, a man, Bill (Tom Michaels), offers a helping hand. Come the Nightfall follows this newly acquainted duo as they find themselves in a precarious situation. 

Come the Nightfall certainly exists in the same vein as Twin Peaks, walking the line between grounded and extreme. There are moments in which supernatural elements seem to play a role in the development of the story; however, much like Twin Peaks, viewers have the ability to accept or completely deny their existence within the narrative. It feels that, by the conclusion of Come the Nightfall, much of the idea that there is a supernatural piece to this puzzle is crushed—but the ability to choose for oneself is still on the table regardless. What’s impressive about this short film is that, while certainly related to the themes and tones of the aforementioned mystery/thriller, Come the Nightfall isn’t derivative of that show. This film exists in its own space and has the ability to thrive without any knowledge of other cinematic properties. 

Come the Nightfall is a wildly low-budget short film, and that fact is realized immediately. This isn’t a critique of the film, but a simple reality that makes it challenging for these filmmakers to fulfill all that they had hoped to. With that said, however, I strongly believe that Michaels (also the writer and director of Come the Nightfall) is able to accomplish quite a lot considering his budgetary restrictions. Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one, and it seems that Michaels subscribed to this idea as he looked to find sets, develop costumes, and direct each of his actors. Grounded, easily accessible sets allow the film to remain honest, and rather than attempting to extend himself too far in any direction, he errs on the side of caution, allowing viewers to fill in the blanks and make what they will of the film. Michaels is a minimalist throughout the development of Come the Nightfall, using the tools and resources readily available to him—a sometimes challenging thing to accomplish, but it feels as though he has pulled it off. 

One of my issues with Come the Nightfall is the frumpy texture of the narrative. While I feel that, by the conclusion of the short film, everything is wrapped up to the best of its ability, there are moments in this short film that feel disconnected and out of place. I’ve said before that I find it troubling when, even for a moment, I find myself disconnected from a short film—particularly one that clocks in at only twenty-two minutes. Even the smallest instance of losing your place can affect how a viewer understands and appreciates a short film, as it then requires a certain level of resilience and gusto to find your way back in. Come the Nightfall suffers from this very issue. 

Furthermore, I struggled with the hyper-sexualization of some of the characters. Clearly, sexuality and sex play a pivotal role in Come the Nightfall, but I felt that, while Michaels leans more toward simplicity in many instances in his film, when it comes to sex, he goes a bit overboard. He’s cast two gorgeous female actors in his film, and that alone should be enough to drive home the plot—but the gratuitous sex becomes overbearing and challenging to stomach. 

With what Come the Nightfall has to work with, it’s clear that the team extended themselves beyond those constraints in order to create something accessible, yet unique. The film suffers along the way from the occasional narrative hiccup and the overuse of sex, but those issues certainly don’t drown the production and cause it to fail. Overall, Come the Nightfall is a relatively concise short film that gets in and gets out—knowing not to overstay its welcome. 

Written & Directed by Tom Michaels.

Starring Jade Warwick, Tom Michaels, Vanessa Beck, & Mitch Taylor. 

6.5/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE