Don’t Let Them In (2020)

Directed by: Mike Dunkin | 81 minutes | horror | Actors: Scott Britton, Louis Dunkin, Amanda Hunt, Michelle Luther, Rob Murphy, Aidan O’Neill, Scott Suter, Amelie Willis, Sophie Willis

On the cover of ‘Don’t Let Them In’ this film is touted as “You’re Next meets The Purge”. That creates quite a few expectations, because the aforementioned films have built up a cult following (the former) and a franchise (the latter). At least the marketing department has balls! How does ‘Don’t Let Them In’ compare to his great examples?

‘Don’t Let Them In’ centers on Karl (Aidan O’Neill) and Jenna (Michelle Luther). This duo earns a living as social workers. One evening they end up at an abandoned hotel. At least that was the intention. The destination is by no means deserted. Soon the duo is besieged by bloodthirsty types. The normally peaceful welfare workers literally have to fight for their lives. How does this end?

What quickly (read: immediately) becomes clear after watching ‘Don’t Let Them In’ is that this film did not have a budget comparable to its great examples ‘You’re Next’ and ‘The Purge’. This is Mike Dunkin’s directorial debut and he hopes to achieve maximum results with modest means. For a first pitch, this horror movie isn’t even that bad. The casting of O’Neill is a bull’s eye, as the actor is the pinnacle of the film. He makes his caricatural character nice and thick and visibly has fun spewing bizarre one-liners.

Dunkin uses a wink to justify the violence in his debut and it works. This movie looks nice and doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is refreshing. The sets and special effects can continue and the compact running time prevents the film from becoming boring. With a bigger budget and a more stable cast – O’Neill is clearly the driving force behind – Dunkin’s next film could well become a cult hit. This horror film is certainly not bad for a debut.