Night Always Comes (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – Risking everything to secure a future for herself and her brother, Lynette sets out on a dangerous odyssey, confronting her own dark past over the course of one propulsive night.

My Take – Unlike most performers who prefer to stick to the mainstream, Vanessa Kirby continues her impressive oscillation between blockbuster fare and dramatic works. While last month saw her super-powered pregnant self being chased around by a silver alien on a surfboard, in her first steps into the MCU, her latest Netflix offering sees her reunite with Benjamin Caron, one of her directors on ‘The Crown’ for a smaller affair.

Adapted from the well-received 2021 novel by Willy Vlautin, the gritty neo-noir set over the course of a single harrowing night sees Kirby embody the role of a desperate, raggedly fatigued woman living on the breadline, who must resort to extreme measures to save her family home. But what should have been a frenzied and propulsive ride, however, is under-served by a heavy-handed and often reductive screenplay.

Even with a runtime of just 108 minutes, the tension often feels forced rather than organic. Leaving the viewers wondering whether the film is aiming to be a grounded social drama or a fast-paced pulp thriller.

Yes, it is not necessarily a bad flick as director Caron is able to squeeze excitement and suspense out of the early frenetic moments, but considering the fact that the film had such a strong central idea with a powerhouse cast, it had a huge potential to become an unforgettable experience, but instead, it ends up being average. Leaving one wondering if it would have been better if the narrative would have focused more on the canvas of an ever-gentrifying America’s unforgiving economic climate, than the protagonist’s spiraling desperation.

Personally, I enjoy single night narratives and with an actress as captivating as Kirby in practically every frame, it’s engaging to some degree. But it’s a shame that the film goes through the motions of its rote plot instead of coming up with more novel ways to boost its potentially thrilling scenario.

The story follows Lynette (Vanessa Kirby), a working-class woman in Portland, who is forced to risk everything she needs to get the $25,000 down payment for the house she resides in. To her, this house represents safety for her family, but it seems everyone and everything is working against her.

Particularly, 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. Lynette also has to think about her older brother, Kenny (Zack Gottsagen), an adult man with Down syndrome, who could be taken away again if she doesn’t make sure their living situation is secured.

With time running out, a desperate Lynette has no option but to dive into the final night of back-to-back risky choices and try everything, from borrowing money to stealing, and in the process, comes face-to-face with some very dangerous people from her past.

Indeed, the gritty plot is intensified by a neon-lit Portland that creates an eerily beautiful ambience, and director Caron steers the action along with an assured hand, making good use of talented DP Damián García’s inky location shooting and composer Adam Janota Bzowski’s moody score.

But while the narrative episodes are well-cast and discomfiting, they are not entirely convincing. Though we gather she’s had a rough past, Lynette seems too level-headed to let this crisis drag her into acts that might lead to prison, whether she closes on the house or not. The script places Lynette in several perilous positions, it too often allows her to walk away unscathed, and the various bad decisions she makes never catch up with her.

The safe is filled with contraband hidden by a politician, but the script never follows up on that. Every time Lynette gets in trouble she’s able to simply run/drive away. A more thrilling version of this would have the various people she pisses off across the night continually hunting her down rather than simply shrugging her off.

There’s also no initial attempt to explain why Doreen would so recklessly blow the money she needs to keep a roof over her family’s head, because the script frustratingly holds back a key detail for a late reveal. Similarly, an act of cruelty by another character comes off as inconsistent and unlikely.

With Lynette going to so many extremes, we can’t help but wonder why she doesn’t just attempt to blackmail her married client into giving her the money.

Sure, these narrative twists are set up to shock, but they not only fall short but also never reach its full potential. I also found the relevant issues that it attempted to address, like student loans, inflation, rent, and sexual exploitation, were rather under served.

Performances wise, Vanessa Kirby makes Lynette feel real, even when the story around her doesn’t fully work. Kirby channels every stage of desperation, pain, and resolve with a haunting depth; she’s the beating heart of the film, making every moment memorable.

She also shares excellent dynamic with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Zack Gottsagen, who are both excellent in their roles.

In small roles, Stephan James, Michael Kelly, Randall Park, Julia Fox, and Eli Roth, shine in their respective roles. On the whole, ‘Night Always Comes‘ is a watchable gritty thriller that stumbles under a clumsy and uneven narrative.