Saagar Kote
Based on the eponymous novel by Willy Vlautin, the Netflix film ‘Night Always Comes’ by Benjamin Caron is a crime thriller drama that narrates the story of a woman named Lynette (Vanessa Kirby) who finds herself in a desperate situation wherein she has to take care of her family and save her own life while navigating through a tense night to raise money. The film explores the complexities of crime, family, and survival through a harrowing portrayal of urban landscapes and nightlife, with a brooding and dark world hidden behind the grandeur. In order to save her family’s home, the protagonist takes desperate measures, including hooking up with dangerous people to claim 25 thousand dollars before the end of the night. The themes of class disparity and isolation are explored in a poignant way in the narrative. If you found the story, performances, visuals, and themes of the film appealing, these films, similar to ‘Night Always Comes,’ will keep you intrigued.
12. Blue Ruin (2013)
The crime thriller drama ‘Blue Ruin’ is a tale of violence, survival, and family, narrated through the lens of the protagonist, Dwight (Macon Blair). The Jeremy Saulnier directorial follows the life of the main character, who lives a life of isolation, almost like an outcast. However, when he gets word that the man who murdered his parents in the past is going to be released from prison, he returns to his hometown to take revenge. The pursuit of vengeance, akin to the flavor of ‘Night Always Comes,’ takes the story into darker zones, leading to threats of violence, death, and tragedy. The narratives of both films contain the elements of the safety of family, loyalty, and redemption, which become motivating factors for the acts of important characters.
11. A Most Violent Year (2014)
J. C. Chandor’s crime drama film ‘A Most Violent Year’ deals with the life of Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac), who fights for survival in the grueling world of New York City in the early years of the 1980s. The protagonist, an immigrant to the United States, hopes to develop his business while resisting the dangerous and corrupt practices around him. His wife Anna Morales (Jessica Chastain) also gets involved with her husband’s dangerous ambitions. Akin to the world of ‘Night Always Comes,’ the drama takes the characters deep into the world of crime and danger as they desperately try to save their families. The elements of unexpected challenges, relationships, and loyalty are prominent in both stories.
10. After Hours (1985)
Directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese, ‘After Hours’ is a New York City black comedy with thriller elements that follows the trials and tribulations of a man named Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne), who goes on a wild adventure through the darkest corners of the city over a single night. The existential film features the elements of unknown threats, experiences, and decisions that affect the protagonist. The narrative is a reflection on the meaninglessness of modern urban life, and also the struggles of people who want to be liberated from the corporate world. The ideas of urban isolation, crime, secrets, and dangerous individuals presented in ‘Night Always Comes’ find a meaningful representation in the film, connecting them on a spiritual level.
9. Kimi (2022)
‘Kimi’ is a thriller drama film which explores the complexities of technology, female safety, and the world of crime through the point of view of Angela Childs (Zoë Kravitz), who is a computer genius working for a corporation that develops a smart device called “Kimi” that can be used through voice access. The Steven Soderbergh directorial weaves a web of deception and crime as the protagonist uncovers something sinister related to a powerful man. The aspect of pursuit and survival in a world of secrets connects the film to ‘Night Always Comes,’ which also features a female protagonist who goes beyond her strength to overcome her ordeal. The urban landscapes also add elements of intrigue in both stories.
8. Promising Young Woman (2020)
Powered by Carey Mulligan’s portrayal of Cassie Thomas, the Emerald Fennell directorial ‘Promising Young Woman’ is a crime mystery film that follows the dangerous life of the protagonist as she hunts down men who are responsible for the rape and subsequent suicide of her friend Nina. What starts as a tale of revenge becomes an all-out commentary on feminist values, toxic masculinity, rape culture, violence, and crime. The aspect of a female protagonist risking her life to achieve a dangerous objective connects it on a spiritual level with ‘Night Always Comes.’ The stories also include disturbing visuals of sexual assault and a violation of bodily autonomy through physical and psychological means. However, the idea of survival is more prominent in both narratives.
7. Chandni Bar (2001)
Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Chandni Bar’ is a tale of crime and the horrors of the life of sex workers in the dark corners of urban life. The Indian drama follows the life of Mumtaz Sawant (Tabu), who comes to Mumbai under desperate circumstances, which eventually lead her to the dark world of sex workers, gangsters, and violence. The film deals with familial ties, loyalty, and the idea of toxic masculinity as experienced by the main character. Despite being tonally different from ‘Night Always Comes,’ it shares similarities as both films talk about women who are forced into situations where they have to survive the challenges of a masculine world. The themes of bodily autonomy and assault are also prominent in both stories, though in different settings. The themes of the narratives connect them on a spiritual level.
6. Drive (2011)
Based on the eponymous novel by James Sallis, Nicolas Winding Refn’s crime thriller drama film ‘Drive’ is a harrowing portrayal of the trials and tribulations of a stuntman only referred to as “The Driver” (Ryan Gosling) in Los Angeles who gets involved in the dangerous world of crime. What begins as a story of connection between Irene (Carey Mulligan) and the protagonist soon becomes a violent tale of survival after a botched robbery entangles them in the criminal underworld. The portrayal of crime, loyalty, nighttime chase sequences, gangsters, and survival connects the film on a visual and thematic level to ‘Night Always Comes.’ The main characters in both films are pushed into scenarios where they have to fight against the odds to ensure their own safety and that of their loved ones.
5. Taxi Driver (1976)
Martin Scorsese’s ‘Taxi Driver’ is generally recognized as being one of the most influential crime drama films. The narrative follows the life of a taxi driver in New York City named Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) who encounters various types of people in his job. However, he becomes obsessed with an underage girl named Iris (Jodie Foster), who is forced into the dark world of sex work. The film is a commentary on isolation, urban cruelty, male ego, male loneliness, and culture. The elements of nightlife, brooding car sequences, dangerous characters, and the ordeals of the protagonist connect the film on a thematic level to ‘Night Always Comes.’ Both films explore the dark impulses of people when they are pushed into unexpected scenarios.
4. Collateral (2004)
‘Collateral’ is an atmospheric crime drama thriller film directed by Michael Mann. It follows a complex tale of violence, bonding, philosophical debates, and survival as seen through the eyes of the lead characters, who include a cab driver named Max (Jamie Foxx) and an assassin named Vincent (Tom Cruise), who boards his taxi. The cab driver becomes unexpectedly involved in a dangerous series of killings carried out by his customer in the darkest corners of the criminal world of Los Angeles. The narrative is similar to the ideas expressed in Night Always Comes due to its exploration of urban crime, moral choices, and high-stakes survival over a single night. The main characters in both films experience threats from criminals, making survival difficult. The thematic connections between the films are evident on a visual level as well.
3. Nightcrawler (2014)
Dan Gilroy’s ‘Nightcrawler’ is a crime thriller that explores the life of a desperate man named Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal), who attempts to earn meaning in his life through acts of violence and deception. The protagonist uses unethical means to steal and sell things. However, when he realizes that independent news coverage of crimes at night can earn both fame and money, he pursues a dangerous path towards success by creating his own crimes and covering them. The film is a compelling narrative on the dark corners of Los Angeles, as seen through the eyes of the protagonist. Akin to ‘Night Always Comes,’ it focuses on the trials and tribulations of the protagonist journeying through dangers. Despite the differences in the motivations of the main characters, the stories are strongly connected due to their use of atmospheric and visual elements of urban landscapes to provide perspectives on violence, crime, and glory.
2. Emily the Criminal (2022)
The crime drama film ‘Emily the Criminal’ by John Patton Ford chronicles the journey of a woman named Emily Benetto (Aubrey Plaza) and her experiences in the world of crime in Los Angeles. What starts as the story of a struggling gig worker burdened by debt who takes on an illegal credit card scam job soon becomes a deadly game of survival and deception that threatens the protagonist on a greater level. In ways similar to the experiences of the main character in ‘Night Always Comes,’ it deals with a woman who has to go to extreme lengths to survive in a male-dominated world of crime. The personal relationships of the characters in both stories interfere with their ability to survive. The philosophical similarities between the two films are evident through character interactions and motivations.
1. Good Time (2017)
Powered by Robert Pattinson’s portrayal of Connie Nikasz, the crime thriller drama film ‘Good Time’ is directed by Benny and Josh Safdie (The Safdie Brothers). It narrates the grueling experiences of the protagonist as he hustles through the streets of New York City in a desperate attempt to save and liberate his brother Nick from prison. The narrative deals with the aftermath of a failed bank heist, which results in Nick’s arrest and Connie’s desperate attempts to free him over the course of a single night. The elements of survival, sibling bond, crime, loyalty, and pursuits in urban landscapes connect the film to ‘Night Always Comes’ and its atmospheric and harrowing world of possibilities and redemption. The main characters in both films risk their lives to save their loved ones.
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