Into The Dark: They Come Knocking recap and breakdown

They Come Knocking, the newest entry in Hulu’s Into The Dark horror anthology series, turned out to be one of the best yet. Find out why in our review below.

The first few installments of Hulu’s Into The Dark series remained grounded in the real world but the more recent entries have delved into supernatural and science fiction territory. The latest of those that fall into this category is They Come Knocking, which stars Clayne Crawford, Robyn Lively, Lia McHugh, and Josephine Langford.

They Come Knocking was directed by Adam Mason, a veteran director of the anthology series. Mason also directed I’m Just F***ing With You, the April edition of Into The Dark. The Father’s Day-themed episode was written by Shane and Carey Van Dyke.

As for the plot, there are quite a few takeaways worth mentioning. But if we need to isolate a specific theme that surmises what the story is all about, we’d have to say it was “death” or rather the acceptance of it. Continue reading for our analysis/breakdown below.

Warning! Spoilers for Into The Dark: They Come Knocking follow. Read on at your own discretion.

In They Come Knocking, Nathan (Clayne Crawford) and his daughters’ story starts out on a somber note. They’re grieving over the loss of a family member, which has deeply affected them all. Nathan tries to put up a brave front for his daughters, Claire (Josephine Langford) and Maggie (Lia McHugh), but the loss of his wife is a devastating one for him.

To make matters worse, Claire holds Nathan responsible for her mother’s death. He didn’t kill her but it was ultimately her father’s decision to pull the plug when Valerie (Robyn Lively) became unresponsive. She’d been kept alive with machines until Nathan felt like they were beyond the point of no return. At that time, he was giving Val a peaceful goodbye by allowing her to die. Claire, however, believed he should’ve waited.

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There’s no way to say who was right or wrong, but based on what audiences were shown in flashback sequences, Valerie definitely suffered from a degenerative type of cancer. Nathan saw this and made the right decision for his wife, even if it wasn’t a popular one.

Following Val’s death, the Singers experienced difficulty coping with the loss. Maggie immersed herself in a miniature world made up of dolls — one where she and her family were all still intact. Claire lashed out angrily at her father and Nathan found it difficult to say goodbye, especially when it came time for him to decide what should be done with Valerie’s remains.

The traumatic ordeal eventually leads the Singers down a path of self-discovery. It isn’t taken by choice but the arduous adventure does them some good in the end.

To sum it up quickly, Nathan and his family are confronted by supernatural creatures who can project images directly into people’s minds. Not only that, but they use a person’s most vulnerable memories to manipulate them. In the Singers’ case, it’s the return of Valerie.

When the supernatural creatures attack Nathan, Maggie, and Claire, they take on the form of Valerie to gain their trust. The creatures can’t force themselves into anyone’s camp, but as long as they can convince someone to invite them in, they can feast on whoever crosses their path.

The creatures’ initial efforts fail to affect Claire or Nathan but Maggie can’t resist the temptation of having her mother back. She sees Valerie in the camper’s window and is almost immediately lured to her. Maggie wants to resists but it’s of no use.

Into The Dark — “They Come Knocking” – After losing his wife to cancer, a father takes his two daughters on a road trip where he finds his family in the crosshairs of terrifying supernatural entities. Valerie (Robyn Lively), shown. (Photo by: Richard Foreman, Jr. SMPSP/Hulu)

Once Maggie lets them in, she’s taken captive. Claire and her father don’t realize what’s happened until after Maggie is gone. They initially panic but Nathan gets a hold of himself long enough to search for his daughter. He follows a trail to an empty shipping container where Maggie’s voice can be heard. Nathan is about to go in when Claire subtly warns him of its’ dangers.

What she cautions her father to are the hallucinations presented to anyone who enters. Claire mentions that her “mother” appeared to her and proposed they become a family again. The catch is they have to reunite in the container. We know Val’s imposter is lying to trap them but Nathan is unaware.

When he enters, Nathan is enticed by his dead wife’s offer. She encourages him with loving words, embracing him to seal the deal. Nathan almost gives in to the imposter’s advances, which presumably would’ve ended the story with them all trapped in a hell-like dimension.

The good news is Nathan finds the courage to let go, saving himself and his family from being devoured by supernatural creatures. All it takes is for Nathan to pour out his wife’s ashes but the act itself suffices to fend off the predators. At the same time, it signifies that the Singers have finally accepted Valerie’s death for what it is.

What did you think of Into The Dark: They Come Knocking? Let us know in the comments section below.

Into The Dark: They Come Knocking is currently streaming on Hulu. For more on this horror-anthology series, follow us on the Hulu Watcher Twitter Account @HuluWatcherFS or on the Hulu Watcher Facebook Page.

(Source: IMDB)