Night Always Comes – Review | Netflix (4/5)

NIGHT ALWAYS COMES on Netflix is a new thriller starring Vanessa Kirby and a virtual ensemble cast in supporting roles. It’s essentially a survival story, but about having a life rather than just staying alive. Read our full Night Always Comes movie review here!

NIGHT ALWAYS COMES is a new Netflix thriller based on the best-selling novel by Willy Vlautin. It’s a story about doing whatever it takes to make it in a world where the odds have been stacked against you from the very beginning.

The runtime is 1 hour and 48 minutes, and this one left me breathless. You will be on the edge of your seat from the very beginning, as you see the consequences of each decision or any missed chance. Vanessa Kirby is a revelation as the all-important protagonist of this relentless story.

Continue reading our Night Always Comes movie review below. Find it on Netflix from August 15, 2025.

Desperation taken to the extreme

Night Always Comes is all about Lynette (Vanessa Kirby), a woman who is forced to risk everything as she needs to get the down payment for a house. To her, this house represents safety for her family, but it seems everyone and everything is working against her.

Her family consists of her mother, Doreen (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and her brother, Kenny (Zack Gottsagen). Her brother is an adult man with Down Syndrome, and she’s worried that he could be taken away again if she doesn’t make sure their living situation is secured.

In Night Always Comes, we see a world where desperation is always just one missed paycheck away, and for Lynette, it’s even worse. She needs to get a lot of money and fast. In fact, she has less than one day, and as the deadline approaches, her desperation takes her to exceedingly dangerous situations.

You’re on your own, kid, you always have been!

As I watched the story in Night Always Comes unfold and escalate, I kept thinking of the song “You’re on your own, kid” because it felt so obvious that she has been struggling for most of her life.

Sure, she’s made bad decisions, but these started back at an age when someone should have intervened and helped.

What I loved about the character-driven plot of Night Always Comes is the way everyone contains multitudes. People always see themselves as victims or heroes.

No one wants to own their actions. Instead, most people convince themselves that everyone else is the villain, and that they just need this one thing and everything will be better. It’s a losing game.

From what we know about Lynette’s life, getting the money won’t make everything OK, but it will resolve one issue.

Vanessa Kirby will break your heart

While Lynette is not making the best choices in Night Always Comes, you will come to understand why she is the way she is. Life has not been easy for Lynette, and those who should have protected her did not. Maybe that’s why she’s so focused on protecting her family now.

As Lynette, Vanessa Kirby delivers a portrayal that is nuanced, heartbreaking, intense, and absolutely breathtaking. Lynette is not the hero of her own story, but she’s trying desperately to be the hero of her brother Kenny’s life.

With Jennifer Jason Leigh portraying her mother, you already have an idea of what to expect. And yes, Jennifer Jason Leigh delivers yet another powerful portrayal as well.

In supporting roles, we get to see some amazing actors. These include Stephan James (Homecoming), Randall Park (The Residence), Julia Fox (Him), Michael Kelly (The Penguin), and Eli Roth.

Several of them even get to play characters that are (at least partially) unexpected.

Watch Night Always Comes on Netflix now

Night Always Comes is from director Benjamin Caron (Sharper) and screenwriter Sarah Conradt (Mothers’ Instinct). As already mentioned, it’s based on the novel by Willy Vlautin, which I have not read, so I can’t attest to whether it follows the book closely.

I can, however, say that this movie is a stellar production. The cast delivers one amazing performance after the next, and the story is well-paced and executed.

Just as we see in many South Korean productions, no one is entirely good or bad. Well, maybe except Eli Roth’s character, who is a real douchebag. It’s all about the choice anyone makes in any given situation.

However, I do also think it’s extremely important to recognize that the characters we meet do not have the same options. Some people have a multitude of options, while others are forced to choose between bad and worse.

Unfortunately for Lynette, she falls squarely into the latter category! That makes for a story where survival is not just about staying alive, but the struggle to have a life you can enjoy and feel safe in. Night Always Comes is a story with many layers, while also being “just” a really solid thriller. Don’t miss out on it!

Night Always Comes is out on Netflix worldwide on August 15, 2025.

Details

Director: Benjamin Caron
Script: Sarah Conradt
Cast: Vanessa Kirby, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zachary Gottsagen, Stephan James, Julia Fox, Eli Roth, Randall Park, Michael Kelly