Netflix has quietly dropped a brand-new thriller described as ‘harrowing’ and ‘riveting’, and with prestigious talent involved, on its streaming platform.
With surprisingly little fanfare after the keen attention on previous other Netflix Friday film releases including highly anticipated sequel Happy Gilmore 2 and rom-com obsession My Oxford Year, Night Always Comes has arrived.
The movie, starring Fantastic Four actress Vanessa Kirby, is based on the best-selling novel by Willy Vlautin and follows Kirby’s former sex worker Lynette, a desperate woman who risks everything to try and raise $25,000 (£ 18,432) to secure the house that represents a future for her family.
The official synopsis adds: ‘On a frantic a dangerous odyssey through a single night, Lynette is forced to confront her dark past in order to finally break free.’
Directed by Benjamin Caron – who previously directed Kirby in her Bafta-winning role as Princess Margaret in The Crown – Night Always Comes also includes Jennifer Jason Lee as Lynette’s chaotic mother, The Peanut Butter Falcon’s Zack Gottsagen as her brother, Julia Fox, Lioness star Michael Kelly and Eli Roth among its cast.
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Caron has cited the Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems and Good Time as an influence on his film’s ‘breakneck momentum’ according to The Guardian.
Fans have expressed their excitement over watching the film this evening, with Merlin commenting on X of Kirby’s performance: ‘Back with a bang.’
‘High stakes and Vanessa Kirby? Count me in,’ added another fan.
‘If the trailer has me stressed, I can’t imagine the full movie,’ admitted @RolandNorbertB.
With reviews just starting to trickle in on its first day available on Netflix, Night Always Comes currently sits on a fresh score of 60% according to critical reactions on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
While that might be on the lower side, there are only 15 reviews uploaded there at the time of publication, which is too few for a proper consensus, and no fan reactions as of yet.
‘Vanessa Kirby commands the screen in a harrowing spiral of bad choices, delivering a performance as riveting as the story is nightmarish,’ praised critic Joseph Robinson of Night Always Comes, while CBR admired Oscar nominee Kirby’s ‘powerhouse performance’.
Heaven of Horror’s Karina Adelgaard went further, sharing: ‘Vanessa Kirby delivers a portrayal that is nuanced, heartbreaking, intense, and absolutely breathtaking.’
Meanwhile, Collider insisted Night Always Comes was ‘a film that needs to be seen’.
‘A decent ticking-clock thriller that relies on its amusingly sleazy underworld and a barrage of strong performances to carry its occasionally flimsy and on-the-nose storytelling,’ wrote Film Feeder’s Jack Martin, while The Hollywood Reporter observed: ‘Netflix’s Night Always Comes is more compelling than the average original streaming movie even if it could use an extra shot of emotional power.’
Critic Ben Sears also highlighted the lack of publicity for Netflix’s latest film, noting that it ‘rises above’ most of the streamer’s other original movies and ‘deserves more than being unceremoniously dumped on the platform’.
Others weren’t quite as convinced though, with IndieWire’s Kate Erbland penning: ‘Handsomely made but tediously plotted, Kirby is more than deserving of this kind of meaty, she’s-in-every-frame role, but Night Always Comes sunsets long before we get there.’
Other new releases this week included controversial adult animation Fixed, which has shocked viewers with its explicit scenes and ‘raunchy dog’ niche genre, while fans globally are also still lapping up pop culture sensation KPop Demon Hunters.
This film recently catapulted into the most-watched list of films ever on Netflix, claiming second place with 184.6million views after just eight weeks on the platform.
Night Always Comes is streaming exclusively on Netflix now.
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