Never After Dark

Never After Dark
Original Japanese language film poster
Japanese name
Katakanaネバーアフターダーク
Directed byDave Boyle
Screenplay byDave Boyle
Produced byDave Boyle, Kento Kaku, Kosuke Tsutsumi
CinematographyPatrick Ouziel
Edited byChieko Suzaki
Music byJonathan Snipes
Production
companies
Signal 181, XYZ Films, TOHO Next
Distributed byMagnolia Pictures
Release date
  • September 25, 2026 (2026-09-25)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Never After Dark (Japanese: ネバーアフターダーク) is a Japanese-language supernatural horror film written and directed by Dave Boyle. It follows Airi, a medium with the ability to contact and exorcise lingering ghosts from a place.

Plot

A young woman named Airi works as a wandering spiritual medium, hired by the living to exorcise ghosts. She is assisted in her duties by the ghost of her sister, Miku.

Airi arrives at an isolated rural home that formerly operated as a bed and breakfast, where the owner and her skeptical son employ her to remove the ghost of a man who appears in the home with a horrific, gaping maw.

Airi sets about her task alone, except for the spirit of her sister. She only performs her work during the day, when the veil between the worlds of the living and dead is stronger and safer. As she attempts to put the ghost to rest, she discovers that the living present far greater challenges and dangers.

Cast

Release

The film premiered at SXSW and was picked up by Magnolia Pictures for distribution. It was released on September 25, 2026.

Reception

Box office

So far in 2026 the film has grossed around $400,000 domestically and internationally.

Critical response

Never After Dark is rated 98% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and a 75 (generally favorable) on Metacritic. It was noted as a New York Times critic's pick by Beatrice Loayza, who called it a "gruesomely sinister and eerily atmospheric ghost story", and noted that it was reminiscent of Kiyoshi Kurosawa horror psychological horror. While some reviews noted the film's initially slow pace, they nonetheless called it a "real thrill" and "expertly executed".

Accolades

The film won both audience and jury prizes at several film festivals, including the Golden Raven top prize at Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival and the grand jury prize at Overlook Film Festival. The A.V. Club named it one of their most anticipated films of SXSW in 2026, where it won the Midnighter Audience Award.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tangcay, Jazz (2026-04-22). "Magnolia Pictures Acquires Dave Boyle's Japanese Horror Film 'Never After Dark' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  2. ↑ Booth, Ned (2026-08-20). "'Never After Dark' Trailer: Japanese Horror Film Hits Theaters This September After Buzzy SXSW 2026 Debut". The Playlist. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  3. ↑ "Never After Dark (ネバーアフターダーク) (2026) - Box Office and Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  4. ↑ "Never After Dark". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  5. ↑ "Never After Dark | Audience Reviews | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  6. ↑ "Never After Dark Reviews - Metacritic". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  7. ↑ Loayza, Beatrice (2026-09-24). "'Never After Dark' Review: Ghostbusting in Japan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  8. ↑ Ehrlich, David (2026-09-23). "'Never After Dark' Review: A Japanese Medium Is Forced to Confront a Living Threat in This Clever Ghost Story". IndieWire. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  9. ↑ Mudede, Charles (2026-10-13). "An American Made an Excellent Japanese Horror Film". The Stranger. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  10. ↑ "Our most anticipated films of SXSW 2026". AV Club. Retrieved 2026-10-25.