2022 SCREAMFEST REVIEW!
The world has ended, the zombies have taken over, and those who haven’t yet turned into the undead struggle with their new reality. One man in particular, Garold (Adam Kitchen), must deal with the fact that his wife is ill, and that her days are numbered. As he relives the good times they had before the end, he also thinks about what life will be like when his beloved, like the rest of the world, has left him. He knows what’s coming, and When the Time Comes he wants to know that he’s made the most of what he once had.
We all know horror films to be dramatic, to spark emotion, and to lead us down a pretty familiar path. We know all the different ploys used to instill fear–darkness, jump scares, etc., but When the Time Comes focuses on a different type of fear. It doesn’t just play on the ideas of being attacked or killed, it plays on the ideas of losing a loved one, a type of fear that we don’t always assume will appear in the horror genre. When the Time Comes employs these ideas so wonderfully, and from the opening moments they come to life–imprinting on viewers in a massive way. Beyond those ideas, the film touches on the ideas of isolation, and the mental toll that it can take on a person–and these ideas manage to frighten viewers far more than anything else possibly could.
Writer-Director Jondaniel Cornett and Director Jonathan Frey employ a wonderful take on horror and fear, and they allow their viewers to understand everything that Garold experiences throughout the course of When the Time Comes. That accessibility is ultimately what makes this film so enjoyable, so entertaining. On the surface we understand that a man is suffering through the unspeakable, but beyond that we are able to picture ourselves, place ourselves in his shoes, and understand that, regardless of who we are, we struggle with some of these same sentiments. With that being said, When the Time Comes is daunting, and it is sure to upset some viewers (just like Cornett and Frey would have intended). It reaches viewers appropriately, and while it’s incredibly simple, it’s one of the most layered and multi-dimensional horror films that I’ve seen in some time.
I’ve had the song “Oats, Peas, Beans, and Barkley Grow” stuck in my head for days now, and it seems unlikely that I’ll get it out any time soon. First of all, this is one of the most ridiculous songs that I’ve ever heard, and its literal meaning serves no purpose in the film (at least not that I can tell), but the never-ending repetition of the simple tune represents the endless loop of pain and suffering of the film’s protagonist. Throughout When the Time Comes Garold finds himself reliving the past, struggling to come to terms with all that his life has become. The song, over time, becomes overbearing, too much to handle–and as it reminds Garold of his past, it frustrates viewers. Viewers are able to feel the pain present in Garold, and they begin to fully understand the intensity present throughout When the Time Comes.
Cornett and Frey do a spectacular job of allowing viewers to understand, to the fullest extent, what Garold is feeling. Viewers are pulled into the narrative, and they feel like they are part of the journey, they feel like Garold’s emotions are almost projected onto them–allowing us to feel every bit of his emotion. When the Time Comes never relents on the emotional front, and it keeps viewers reeling throughout, always wanting more, always wondering what’s to come.
Written & Directed by Jondaniel Cornett & Jonathan Frey.
Starring Adam Kitchen, Rachel G. Whittle, Antonella Baez, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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