When it comes to movies heading to Netflix, it’s a lot easier to recommend films we’ve already seen rather than something new or unknown.
But there is one Netflix movie I can’t wait to watch in August that I’ve never seen before, and it’s called Night Always Comes.
This is a crime thriller by director Benjamin Caron and screenwriter Sarah Conradt based on the novel The Night Always Comes by Willy Vlautin.
So far, this Netflix original looks like it’s going to be one of the best on the streamer this month. And there are three simple reasons why I’m so eager to see it.
The Trailer Teases an Intriguing Story
At the moment, there’s only a single full-length trailer for Night Always Comes. But it gets the story across in just over two minutes of footage. Lynette (Vanessa Kirby) is a woman in her 30s who is looking after her older brother, Kenny (Zack Gottsagen), who has Down Syndrome. Lynette had a deal in place to buy a home for herself and Kenny until their mother, Doreen (Jennifer Jason Leigh), spent all their money and left them high and dry.
We can infer from Lynette’s dialogue that Kenny has been removed from her care before, and she’s determined to prevent that from happening again. That’s why she’s willing to revisit her shady past and dive into the criminal underworld to raise the money she needs before she loses everything. Judging from the clips, stealing, robbery and even attempted murder are just a few of the crimes she’s willing to commit to get what she needs.
Vanessa Kirby Is a Compelling Actress
Kirby is having quite a moment this summer as one of the leads in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Night Always Comes is obviously a very different kind of film, and Kirby served as a producer to help bring it to life. If the trailer is any indication, Kirby will bring the necessary intensity to her role as Lynette as she conveys her desperation and drive.
Some of the scenes with Kirby in the city remind me of one of her earlier films, Italian Studies. While she played an amnesiac in that film, Lynette knows full well who she is in this film. The real question is whether Lynette knows just how far over the line she’s willing to go to keep her family together.
The Film Has a Terrific Supporting Cast
It’s doubtful that Night Always Comes had a large budget, but it does have a very talented cast of performers in support of Kirby’s main character. Leigh is a veteran actress who broke out in Fast Times at Ridgemont High over four decades ago, and she’s appeared in such cult classics as Miami Blues, The Hudsucker Proxy and The Hateful Eight. Gottsagen’s list of credits is a lot shorter, but he had a breakout role of his own in The Peanut Butter Falcon in 2019.
Watson‘s Randall Park appears to be playing a lover of convenience to Lynette in the trailer, and she seemingly steals from him after their liaison. Homecoming‘s Stephan James plays one of Lynette’s friends and allies. The rest of the cast is rounded out by Julia Fox, Michael Kelly and even director Eli Roth in a rare acting role. If the script and the film itself can live up to the caliber of these performers, then Night Always Comes may turn out to be one of Netflix’s best movies of the summer.
Night Always Comes will stream on Netflix on August 15.
