Open 24 Hours (2018) – Terror Never Clocks Out
Open 24 Hours is a grim, rain-soaked descent into paranoia and trauma. Released in 2018, this psychological slasher follows Mary, a tormented young woman recently released from a mental institution after setting her serial killer boyfriend on fire. Desperate to rebuild her life, she takes a graveyard shift at an isolated gas station. But as the hours crawl by, Mary begins to see things — or maybe someone — lurking in the shadows.
Is it her mind playing tricks? Or has her past come back to finish what it started?
The film thrives on atmosphere. Constant rain hammers the station. The fluorescent lights flicker. Every customer feels suspicious. Every creak in the dark could be something — or someone — dangerous. Mary’s internal struggle adds to the tension, making the viewer question what is real and what is the residue of deep trauma.
Director Padraig Reynolds crafts a claustrophobic nightmare, keeping the audience trapped with Mary in a place where help feels galaxies away. The real strength of Open 24 Hours lies not just in its bloody set pieces, but in the sense of dread that builds with each passing minute.
Vanessa Grasse delivers a committed performance as Mary, balancing fragility with fury. The violence, when it comes, is raw and visceral, but never feels gratuitous. It serves a purpose — to show the psychological scars that bleed just as much as physical wounds.
By the time the night ends, Open 24 Hours has fully descended into madness, blending slasher thrills with a character-driven exploration of guilt, fear, and survival.
This film is not about escape. It is about enduring the storm, both outside and within. And when the sun rises, nothing is the same again.
