Published: July 06, 2023| 09:59 AM

A combination of home-invasion horror and black comedy, the film’s message is that the biggest monsters in our lives are not us, but our mothers. She Came at Night, a new comedy by the director duo Tomáš Pavlíček and Jan Vejnar, both amused and terrified audiences at its world premiere in the Small Hall. 

A large delegation attended the screening, including actress Simona Peková, who excelled in the role of the intruder. “I gave it my elderly best,” she joked in front of the audience, before continuing with several minutes of stand-up comedy in the persona of Jiří Rendl’s film mother.

“My mother is the complete opposite of her. It was a kind of actor’s love that I could easily live with,” Rendl added about the matter of living together. His wife and also the victim of the demonic mother-in-law was played by Annette Nesvadbová. “Our film is mainly about toxic relationships, not just motherhood,” she told the audience. From the moment the filmmakers approached the producers until the premiere, the film was made on a shoestring budget and took only a year to shoot. “We both have a penchant for guerrilla films, so we jumped right in,” explained director Pavlíček. “But don’t worry, we both love our mothers,” said Vejnar to reassure the audience.