Movie review - The Nice Ones

The Nice Ones ** (out of 5) You know the old cautionary saying “you gotta look out for the quiet ones”. This horror flick changes that to beware of the “suddenly nice” ones. It’s another variation on an attractive group of young revelers gathering in an isolated house when bad things start to happen. Genre veterans have seen a plethora of such gorefests, but there are usually one or two novelties in how they show the inevitable. That’s what keeps us coming back for the next one.

As Kate (Joelle Rae) and Dale (Emrhys {not a typo; I double-checked} Cooper) are driving to the aforesaid abode, she notices strange lights in the sky. Kate has been recently released from an institution for the clinically confused, and Dale had been her therapist before they started making mattress music. They’re meeting a handful of his old friends – most of whom don’t like Kate, and the feeling is mutual - except for Shelly (Ayvianna Snow), who is more amiable. When Kate tells them about the mysteriously moving lights suggestive of UFOs, they assume she’s having a schizophrenic relapse and dismiss her concerns. Most aggravating is Dale, who remains particularly condescending towards his partner, even as her fears start becoming a key part of their shared reality.

One by one, others start seeing those lights which cause major personality changes. Suddenly each affected person morphs into in a state of trancelike bliss, droning on about happiness to come, albeit by killing the rest to speed them along their path. The usual bloodbath ensues in its full glory of gory.

The rest of the details don’t matter. It’s all by the book. No sex or nudity; mild drug use, and less mild drinking. This one will probably get an R rating simply on the blood and guts component. No expense was spared on those effects. For me, the downside is that they never explain the source of the lights… or I just missed it. Writer/director Peter Stylianou leaves things open-ended, probably hoping to set up a franchise like the Smile series. The premise could easily support a string of sequels, with or without any of the same cast, as new players fall prey to the same lights in their skies. Time (and gross revenues) will tell. It could enjoy a long home-market life.

(The Nice Ones is available On Demand as of 9/29/26)