If the idea of a Stone Age survival horror thriller sounds up your alley you won’t want to miss “Out of Darkness”. This moody and tension-soaked feature from director Andrew Cumming had its world premiere two years ago at the BFI London Film Festival. This past year the film received five nominations at the British Independent Film Awards and this week it’s set for its North American release via Bleecker Street.

Written by Cumming and Ruth Greenberg, “Out of Darkness” tells a dark and gritty tale that fully immerses us in its prehistoric setting. Set 45,000 years ago, the story follows a group of six early people searching of the proverbial promised land but finding themselves fighting for their lives instead. On its surface there is a simplicity to the story, yet it remains gripping throughout thanks to the provocative themes at its core and Cumming’s brilliant visual storytelling. More on that in a moment.

The film opens with the six arriving in a new world. The group consists of their determined leader Adem (Chuka Modu), his sickly pregnant wife Ave (Iola Evans) and their young son Heron (Luna Mwezi). There’s Adem’s loyal little brother Geirr (Kit Young), the clan’s ever skeptical elder Odal (Arno Lüning), and a “stray” named Beyah (Safia Oakley-Green). Unable to survive on their homeland, Adem has led the group across the sea to a place he claims is marked by tall mountains, fertile valleys, warm caves for shelter, and an abundance of wildlife for food.

But what they find is considerably different. On top of the incessant chilling winds, they discover the earth to be barren. Even worse there are no animals to hunt. Cold, starving, and exposed, Adem leads the desperate group across the harsh, arid land towards the distant foothills in hopes of finding shelter. But on the journey they quickly learn they’re not alone. Something lurks in the night – its bloodcurdling screeches echoing through the pitch-black darkness. And then everything turns after Heron is snatched in the night, sending the unhinged Adem on a hunt that puts everyone in danger.

As the story takes its seemingly inevitable darker turn, Cumming digs deeper into the uglier sides of human nature. His message becomes pretty obvious, but it remains compelling right through to its fitting and impactful finish. Along the way he says a lot through his characters who mirror people-types in a number of subtle but thought-provoking ways. Their actions are often motivated by a number of factors which shrewdly speak to issues that (for better or for worse) remain a part of the human DNA.

And then there is the incredible detail from the fabulous costume design to the camerawork. The way Cumming and DP Ben Fordsman use various forms of light and eerie darkness; the way they shoot the stunning yet forbidding environments (the movie was filmed in the Scottish Highlands) – it’s all crucial to the storytelling. Cumming even used the guidance of a linguist and an archaeologist to develop an entirely new spoken language specifically for the film.

Though clocking in at under 90 minutes, “Out of Darkness” packs impressive vision and craft into its lean running time. Cumming makes a number of smart choices, none better than keeping the terrifying threat a secret until the final act. Amplified by haunting visuals, tension-soaked atmosphere, some gnarly makeup/effects, and a brooding score by Adam Janota Bzowski, “Out of Darkness” is an absorbing and well-executed horror thriller set within a grim, unwelcoming, yet fascinating hellscape. And it marks the scintillating feature length debut for an exciting new filmmaker. Opening in theaters February 9th.