Night Always Comes

Last updated

Night Always Comes
Night Always Comes poster.jpg
Release poster
Directed by Benjamin Caron
Screenplay bySarah Conradt
Based onThe Night Always Comes
by Willy Vlautin
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDamián García
Edited by Yan Miles
Music byAdam Janota Bzowski
Production
companies
  • H2L Media Group
  • Aluna Entertainment
  • Square Eyed Pictures
Distributed by Netflix
Release date
  • August 15, 2025 (2025-08-15)
Running time
108 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Night Always Comes is a 2025 American crime thriller drama film directed by Benjamin Caron from a script by Sarah Conradt, adapting the 2021 novel The Night Always Comes by Willy Vlautin. It stars Vanessa Kirby, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zack Gottsagen, Stephen James, Randall Park, Julia Fox, Michael Kelly, and Eli Roth.

Contents

Night Always Comes was released on Netflix on August 15, 2025. [2] [3]

Plot

Lynette, a woman with multiple jobs (including escorting), is trying to keep her Portland childhood home for herself, her mother Doreen, and her older brother, Kenny, who has Down syndrome. On the day Lynette and Doreen are to sign to secure their house at the bank, Doreen is a no-show. Arriving home, Lynette discovers Doreen spent the $25,000 meant for the down payment on a new car.

Distraught and desperate, Lynette contacts former client Scott, skipping work at the bar to meet him. He refuses to loan her the money, but she sleeps with him anyway. Afterwards, Scott doubles her usual $500 as a definitive goodbye. Scott accidentally leaves his car keys behind, so Lynette impulsively takes his Mercedes. He calls and leaves increasingly angrier voicemails. Lynette drives his car to and parks it under a bridge in a panic. She ends up leaving the car there with one door opening and walks back to her car.

Lynette then unsuccessfully asks her friend Gloria, an escort and senator's mistress, for the $3,000 she owes her. Gloria reluctantly gives Lynette $500 from a safe. Coming across Cody, an ex-felon and co-worker from the bar, Lynette convinces him to take a look at the safe for $400.

Insisting it must be opened off-site, Cody asks for double. After driving across town, Cody's contact uses a sledgehammer on it. Inside is cash, Rolexes, and bags of cocaine. He threatens Lynette and she eventually confesses that the safe belongs to her friend. As the contact refuses to let her leave, she severely injures him with one of his tools.

Cody and Lynette escape to a diner and count the cash, which ends up being $6,000 short of what she needs. She decides to sell Scott's Mercedes and collect Kenny on the way. Once locating the car, Cody turns on Lynette, taking the bag with everything and the Mercedes' keys. Losing it, she impulsively hits him with her car, grabbing the bag, but leaving him the keys. Kenny is upset, but Lynette convinces him to come around after getting him pancakes and talking about how they need to stick together as family.

Lynette wakes her ex Tommy in the middle of the night to try to sell what she can from the bag to him. He tells Lynette that he does not have the cash to pay her that night, but has a contact that could buy the coke for $3,000. Lynette confronts him about pushing her into prostitution at 16, and Tommy tells her to never reach out to him again.

The buyer, Blake, lives in the suburbs and is holding a late night party. When he tries to force Lynette to screw for part of the money, she hits him over the head and frantically searches everywhere for Kenny. She finds him, but everyone tries to hold her down when the injured Blake accuses her of robbing him. Lynette falls through a glass table and gets thrown out.

Lynette and Kenny arrive back home before sunrise. When Doreen confronts her, she explains she spent all night replacing the $25,000 her mother had spent yesterday. While removing glass from her daughter's back, Doreen insists she does not want the house, preferring to see it burn.

Lynette confronts her, upset she worked so hard for a house her mother did not want to keep. Doreen in turn lists Lynette's mistakes, including her past relationship with Tommy at 16. Lynette tearfully asks why she did not protect her against his abuse, when she needed her the most. Doreen coldly informs her she is moving with Kenny to Mona's.

David calls Lynette to tell her he went with another buyer offering more for the house, as he had given her family far too many chances. She climbs into bed with Kenny, telling him she has to go away for a while, but will visit later to see him. They profess their love for each other, and she goes.

Lynette leaves some cash and a note to Doreen, saying that she fought hard for their family, asking her to take care of Kenny, and insisting she will go on fighting.

Cast

Production

In March 2024, it was announced the film would be produced by Aluna Entertainment under their agreement with Netflix. The film, based on the 2021 novel by Willy Vlautin, would be directed by Benjamin Caron from a script by Sarah Conradt. Vanessa Kirby would star in and also produce the film. Also producing are Lauren Dark, Benjamin and Jodie Caron, Gary Levinsohn, and Billy Hines. [4] [5]

The cast also includes Jennifer Jason Leigh,  Zack Gottsagen,  Stephan James,  Julia Fox,  Eli Roth,  Randall Park, and  Michael Kelly. [5] [6]

Principal photography took place from May 14 to July 2, 2024, in Portland, Oregon, and at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon. [7] [8]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 55% of 51 critics' reviews are positive. [9] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 60 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [10]

References

  1. "Night Always Comes (15)". British Board of Film Classification . August 5, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  2. D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 30, 2025). "Netflix 2025 Movie Slate: Dates For Guillermo Del Toro's 'Frankenstein', 'Old Guard 2', Ben Affleck & Matt Damon's 'RIP', 'Wake Up Dead Man: Knives Out Mystery' & More". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  3. VanHoose, Benjamin (July 17, 2025). "Watch Vanessa Kirby's Electrifying Race Against Time in Night Always Comes Trailer (Exclusive)". People . Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  4. Bamigboye, Baz (March 5, 2024). "Breaking Baz: Vanessa Kirby Reunites With 'The Crown's Benjamin Caron For Noir-ish Drama 'The Night Always Comes' Ahead Of Starring In 'Fantastic Four' reboot". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Ritman, Alex (May 23, 2024). "Jennifer Jason Leigh, Julia Fox, Eli Roth and Randall Park Among Ensemble Cast Joining Vanessa Kirby in Netflix Thriller 'Night Always Comes' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  6. Booth, Ned (May 23, 2024). "'Night Always Comes': Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stephan James, Julia Fox, Randall Park & More Join Vanessa Kirby In Upcoming Netflix Thriller". The Playlist. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  7. Turnquist, Kristi (May 22, 2024). "Filming of 'The Night Always Comes' will cause Portland bridge traffic delays". The Oregonian . Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  8. Das, Abhiroop (August 15, 2025). "Where Was Night Always Comes Filmed? All Shooting Locations". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  9. "Night Always Comes". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  10. "Night Always Comes". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 23, 2025.