After acclaimed projects like The Crown and Andor, director Benjamin Caron returns with Netflix’s new thriller, Night Always Comes. Led by Vanessa Kirby and featuring talents like Jennifer Jason Leigh and Julia Fox, the film sets out with a gripping sense of urgency. While Kirby holds the story together with her intense performance, the execution often stumbles under a clumsy and uneven narrative. Before you add the film to your weekend watchlist, here’s our take on Night Always Comes.
Night Always Comes: A whirlwind night of reckless decisions
Benjamin Caron’s Night Always Comes follows the protagonist, ‘Lynette’ (played by Vanessa Kirby), a working-class woman in Portland, scrambling through everything to collect USD 25,000 before her house is sold out. Adding to the challenge, she has only one night to collect enough money to save her home and protect both herself and her family, including her developmentally disabled brother, ‘Kenny’ (Zack Gottsagen).
While the stakes are already high, things turn intense as ‘Lynette’ faces resistance from her unstable mother, ‘Doreen’ (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who isn’t the supportive figure Lynette needs. She is a roadblock in every sense, with her erratic and selfish nature. With time running out, a desperate Lynette dives into a night of back-to-back risky choices. She tries everything, from borrowing money to stealing, and in the process, comes face-to-face with dangerous people from her past.
The premise is intriguing and sets up the promise of an urgent, exciting thriller, but the film stumbles as it moves forward. Even with a runtime of just 1 hour and 48 minutes, the tension often feels forced rather than organic. At times, viewers may be left wondering whether Night Always Comes is aiming to be a grounded social drama or a fast-paced pulp thriller.
Vanessa Kirby carries the film, but Jennifer Jason Leigh remains underused
Despite the inconsistent narrative, what makes Night Always Comes an entertaining watch is the lead actress and producer, Vanessa Kirby. She is the soul of the film, and through her, we see a woman completely beaten down by life, yet carrying on despite the exhaustion and fear, determined to fight for survival. Kirby makes Lynette feel real, even when the story around her doesn’t fully work.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Jason Leigh embodies the frustratingly believable role of ‘Doreen’, a selfish and manipulative mother who adds to ‘Lynette’s problems instead of helping. In the limited screen time she gets, Leigh makes an interesting presence. With such a powerhouse actress in the supporting role, the film barely uses her. After the initial part, we see ‘Doreen’ again near the end of the film for a twist that only weakens the protagonist’s struggle. A stronger script could have better utilised Jennifer and probably steered the film in a more positive direction.
Other highlights of Night Always Comes
The acting remains the main strong point in the film, alongside Benjamin Caron’s slick visuals. The gritty plot of the film is intensified by a neon-lit Portland that creates an eerily beautiful ambience. Other actors in the cast, including Zack Gottsagen, Randall Park, Julia Fox, Stephan James, Michael Kelly, and Eli Roth, have shone in their respective roles despite limited screen presence.
Still, the weak script makes all of this a wasted opportunity. Even though the film hints at some important themes, such as housing insecurity and the unbelievable weight of being a caregiver, they remain largely unexplored. For fans of Benjamin Caron’s work, Night Always Comes can be a letdown, with its movement from one predictable scene to another and overuse of sudden plot twists that don’t always feel believable.
Final verdict: Watch it for Kirby
Night Always Comes is not necessarily a bad movie, but coming from such a celebrated director, it’s a letdown. The fact that the film had such a strong central idea with a powerhouse cast, it had a huge potential to become a powerful and unforgettable story, but instead, it ends up being average. Vanessa Kirby deserves praise for being a saving grace of the film. Her raw performance brings the story’s tension to life, and without her in the lead, the movie would have likely fallen apart.
For thriller fans, Night Always Comes works as a quick late-night Netflix watch at just under two hours. It won’t necessarily leave a lasting impact, but Vanessa Kirby’s performance makes it a solid one-time watch. Have you watched the film yet?
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