Night Always Comes Review: A Dark Thriller Worth Watching?

It feels like a universal question these days: why are movies becoming so dull? It seems like we’re constantly gambling our precious two hours on a film, only to feel like we’ve wasted an evening. You sit down, hit play, and hope for a story that moves you, shocks you, or makes you think. Instead, you often get something hollow, surface-level, and ultimately forgettable. Unfortunately, the new Netflix film Night Always Comes is a perfect, frustrating example of this trend. It’s a movie that promises a gritty, all-night odyssey but delivers little more than a bleak and poorly constructed mess.

Let’s break down exactly why this movie fails to live up to its potential.

What Is ‘Night Always Comes’ Even About?

On paper, the premise of Night Always Comes has all the ingredients for a tense, character-driven thriller. Based on the novel by Willy Vlautin, the film follows Lynette (Vanessa Kirby), a woman fighting to secure a future for her family by keeping hold of their house. To do this, she embarks on a dangerous, desperate journey over a single night, confronting a series of unsavory characters from her past to collect old debts.

It’s a story that should be ripe with tension and moral complexity. However, the execution is where everything falls apart. The film provides almost no context for who these people are or why they act the way they do. We don’t understand Lynette’s past enough to care about her present, and the characters she meets feel like cardboard cutouts rather than real people. This lack of depth turns a potentially powerful narrative into what can only be described as “poverty porn”—exploiting struggle without offering any real insight or empathy.

A Cast Wasted in ‘Night Always Comes’

A major selling point for Night Always Comes is its cast, which is full of talented actors. Yet, nearly every one of them feels miscast or underutilized.

Vanessa Kirby, who is set to play Sue Storm in the upcoming Fantastic Four, is a phenomenal actress. But here, she seems to be just going through the motions. The review points out a crucial flaw: she simply doesn’t look the part. Despite fake tattoos and a grungy aesthetic, she still looks “way too pretty,” making it hard to buy into her as a struggling, down-and-out character. It’s not entirely her fault—the script gives her a self-destructive and unlikable character with no arc to make us root for her.

Brick (2025) Netflix Review – Worth Watching?

The only bright spot, as noted, is Zach Gottsagen (from The Peanut Butter Falcon), who plays Lynette’s older brother. He brings a genuine earnestness, humor, and vulnerability to his role as a young man who wants to protect his sister but can’t. His performance feels real in a movie where everything else feels fake.

Then there’s the distracting casting of director Eli Roth in a supporting role as a “sadistic douche.” Instead of adding to the tension, his familiar face pulls you right out of the movie. It feels like a gimmicky cameo, and you can’t take the threat he’s supposed to represent seriously.

A Story That Goes Nowhere

This is perhaps the biggest sin of Night Always Comes. The film is bleak and depressing, which isn’t automatically a bad thing if it serves a purpose. But here, the intense moments lead to absolutely nowhere. The plot is riddled with holes that are never filled.

What happened to her mother? Why is there no investigation into the night’s events? The film sets up a rigged economic system as the villain in the first act, seemingly to make a grand point about society. But then, it bizarrely switches to badgering the audience and Lynette about “personal responsibility,” creating a confusing and hypocritical message.

The ending is the final insult. Without giving it all away, Lynette has a sudden epiphany and makes a 180-degree turn in her character. But this change is completely unearned. Nothing in the previous 90 minutes justifies this sudden shift. It feels forced, lazy, and provides no real closure or optimism. It’s not about needing a happy ending; it’s about needing a satisfying one that makes sense for the story we were told. This ending feels like the writers just gave up.

Final Verdict: Is ‘Night Always Comes’ Worth Your Time?

In short, no. Night Always Comes is a colossal waste of time. It’s poorly directed, with a frenetic handheld shooting style that feels more gimmicky than gripping. The narrative is a chaotic and unpleasant journey with no payoff, filled with underdeveloped characters and a confusing moral compass.

It’s a shame because the core idea had potential. A single night of desperation to save a home could have been a powerful look at struggle, family, and the lengths we go to for security. Instead, we get a surface-level, unpleasant experience that offers nothing but frustration.

If you’re looking for an Oscar-worthy drama with powerful performances, you won’t find it here. Based on the overwhelming flaws in its story, characters, and direction, I have to give Night Always Comes a very generous 2 out of 5 stars. Save your precious hours for something else.