I love a film that puts a character or characters in a tough situation, and they have a specific length of time to accomplish a goal. Whether it’s to make some money or do a job. This kind of scenario can lead to a good story. That’s the case here with “Night Always Comes”. The main character is put in a bad situation, and she has to figure a way out of it or everything is lost. The director, Benjamin Caron, who used the script, adapted by Sarah Conradt, based on the book by Willy Vlautin, was given a lot to work with. He assembled a good cast of actors to accomplish the goal he set out to do, which was to make an intense crime drama. Which is exactly what he did.

Lynette (Vanessa Kirby) is a single woman who lives in Portland, Oregon, with her mother Doreen (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and developmentally disabled brother Kenny (Zach Gottsegan, Peanut Butter Falcon). They have been saving to pay off their home, but when the Kirby character goes to pay the remainder of the money, her mother doesn’t show up to sign the contract. She is given some extra time by the owner to come up with the money, but if she doesn’t, the owner is going to sell it to another person. She confronts her mother to see what happened, and she says she spent the money on a new car. Which doesn’t make the Kirby character very happy. This sends her into a spiral, and she tries to do whatever it takes to come up with the $25,000 dollars she needs to pay off her home. It’s easier said than done, though.

There have been quite a few films where a woman has been put in a no-win scenario over the years. These kinds of movies can be quite gripping, to say the least. Kirby’s character has a lot going on, and she goes the extra length to try and save her house.That includes working three jobs, having sexual intercourse with men, and even robbing her own friends to try and get the money she needs. There were multiple situations where I was genuinely concerned for her well-being in this film. As a woman who has to do the things she does, it reminds me of a woman who is very desperate and will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. Kirby is terrific in this role. She’s having a good year with Eden and Fantastic Four: First Steps under her belt, but this may be the best performance she’s given this year thus far. The desperation her character is going through is seen in her performance.

Caron, the director, films a lot of scenes at night and in a car. Car scenes can be a bit misleading at times because of how they are filmed, but here they are very intense because of the narrative that is going on during these scenes. Multiple times in the movie, there are struggles in a car. No car chases or anything, but key scenes that move the story forward. A few other traumatic scenes at a guy’s house and at a party are thrown in to show all the different struggles she’s having. Throw in the fact she has her brother to look after, and you can see this was not a situation for her to be thrown into. She’s making the most of it, though. You know the old saying, when your given lemons make lemonade. That’s what she does here in this scenario.

One specific thing that Caron does to help pass the time and show a genuine concern to those watching this movie is a digital time clock on the screen. After every scene, the clock is shown on screen and a second or two tick off for good measure. Every time I saw that clock on screen, I wondered how much time she had left to complete her mission. I was genuinely nervous and anxious to see what was coming next. This film isn’t as intense as some others I’ve seen in past years like Uncut Gems, but it was pretty good. Kirby has played a bunch of different kinds of roles, but this is the first time I’ve seen her play unhinged. Range as an actor is always a good thing. She’s starting to develop that with quite a bit of her career still left to unfold.

Two small things I noticed that kept the tension rising were the score that started out somber and slower but gradually intensified as the stakes of the story intensified. A good score can create an atmosphere in a film that goes in a specific direction. Besides the score, there was an opening home video scene where the Kirby character, her brother and mother, and father were all creating some memories. This scene was there to help show how important her family is to her and specifically the home she grew up in as a kid. Put yourself in her shoes. What would anybody else do to save their home? Little things like these within the context of the film show the gravity of the situation. 

As always in most films, besides the lead characters, there is a supporting cast who does a good job complimenting the leads. In this movie, Randall Park,  Stephen James, Eli Roth, and Julia Fox all have supporting roles that help compliment the Kirby character. Jason Leigh and Gottsegan are both more of secondary leads behind Kirby’s character.The supporting cast is fine, but nobody stood out to me as being great or doing something within the context of the film that was that impressive. It’s basically the Kirby show here from beginning to end. Even though these are names you’ve probably heard before, they don’t do anything too outstanding. 

As a house owner who is struggling a lot on my own, I can honestly say this story hit me hard. I have had financial struggles my entire life. And maintaining a house isn’t easy. Keeping up with the day to day operations and repairs of a home is very difficult for a single man, let alone a woman with a mother and brother who don’t help her. Kirby showed she can play these types of characters now. Not only the pretty angenu or seductress.  As she’s progressed in her career playing mothers and so forth has shown she has range as an actress. Caron had a good supporting cast around her, but it’s the Kirby show. The story is a relatable one. I’m sure I’m not the only one who will feel for what the main character is going through. Even though Night Always Comes is a metaphor, it is very meaningful as well. Sometimes, things don’t always end in a happy way. This movie shows that, and I’m sure many who watch it will understand that quite evidently.  I did. Overall, this was an intense character study of this woman and her struggles. Kirby is the main reason to watch this film, though. She’s incredible in it.

4 stars

Dan Skip Allen