From revisiting Bundy in Hulu specials to dramatizing the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in hit Netflix series Mindhunter, serial killer stories never seem to go out of style. In the tradition of dimly-lit, cold-climate neo-noir, director David Raymond recruits our familiarity with detective stories in his new flick Night Hunter. And while the criminal element of the film feels more like a two-part special on Criminal Minds, Raymond’s true vision lay in the stories surrounding the crimes and the investigation into the personal psyches of all those involved.
Henry Cavill plays Lieutenant Aaron Marshall, a world-weary homicide detective taking on a relatively routine, albeit disturbing, case involving the abduction and murder of young girls. With the help of Cooper (Ben Kinsley) and Lara (Eliana Jones), a pair of jaded vigilantes who track and “tame” pedophiles, the captor of the missing girls is quickly found and taken into custody. But not all is as it seems as the investigators become the targets of a series of psychopathic games, putting everyone involved, including their families, in escalating peril.
As a thriller, Night Hunter walks on rocky ground, uneasy in its merit. It likens itself to more of a TV crime drama than the mystery thriller it hopes to be. There are red herrings and twists, but there are also thoughtful side stories gasping for more screen time. With the episodic investment of something like The Sinner or True Detective, Night Hunter would have the potential to elevate these characters, understand their relationships, and deep dive into some otherwise flimsy side plots. Storylines cut through and get lost, never coming to resolution or fulfilling exposure. While it isn’t necessary that we know exactly what brought Cooper and Lara together (though it seems to be some sort of pedophilia trial) or what happened between Marshall and Rachel that created their reluctant chemistry, it would make interesting viewing and storytelling. In a world where TV is growing more and more cinematic, Night Hunter would have benefited from an episodic stay on HBO or Showtime. There’s just too much going on that’s worth knowing about, and the disservice is felt all the more knowing how solid mini-series outings of similar fair have been.
What the film lacks in extended story more than makes up for in performance. Every character has depth and history oozing from their darkly lit pores. Brendan Fletcher gives a chameleon performance swaddled in spit and stamina. Alexandra Daddario is equally committed as the empathetic interrogator who obsessively pursues every avenue to get the truth. Ben Kingsley, always offering tour de force efforts to even the smallest roles, is sympathetic and intoxicating as he fights his demons, both present and past, while caring for his charge, Lara. And Cavill, who spends much of his screen time banging on tables and mumbling his way to the next plot point (this, by the way, is not a criticism, but indicative of his character’s debilitated spirit), shares wonderfully endearing moments when he gets to play Dad. The talent is exactly that: talented.
Speaking to Cavill’s time as conflicted father, Night Hunter carries with it an underlying motif that stretches beyond the superficial structure. It’s what I like to call “daddy-daughter factor.” Upon Marshall’s introduction, we see him confronted with his teenage daughter’s online antics; talking to boys she doesn’t know and posting suggestive photos of herself to gain attention. The way he handles the situation, profiling the boys and teaching his daughter to do the same, shows a cautious respect for his daughter’s space – teaching her how to be careful without outright denouncing her ability to express herself. When some of the missing girls are found, two father’s visit the hospital to find their missing daughters, and the emotional dynamism offered between the one father who is reunited and the other who is not is heart-wrenching. Cooper and Lara, twin agents of pedophile destruction, have a working relationship that airs on the side of family stand-ins. He cares for her as he would his own daughter, had tragedy not struck his home. And she, in turn, admires and loves Cooper, and puts herself in harm’s way to help him achieve goals they share. Even the cybertech analyst Glasgow (Mpho Koaho) has a harrowing moment with his own daughter when she becomes a pawn in the psychopath’s game.
The ‘daddy-daughter’ theme is made more complex by the “mother-son” relationship of the killer and Rachel’s ever-fervent reactions to him as she unfurls the details of his past that unlock the key to his psychotic tendencies. I found these relationships more compelling than the overarching mystery, diving into a human side of criminal entanglement that doesn’t rest on a weary, we’ve-seen-it-before structure of “protagonist’s life falls apart due to complex case.”
The climax comes like a boulder down a mountain, fast and blunt. Lara gets a house, Marshall gets the girl, and we all share a laugh about ice skating. There are some attempts at creative masochism with a game called “Winterbug,” and a mildly convoluted chase through a snow-laden forest, but it is again unfulfilling as the heart and soul of Night Hunter resides little in the case itself. It’s in the quiet moments on the kitchen floor, or floating in an indoor pool. It’s in a restroom with Rachel as she composes herself to the likeness of the killer’s mother. It’s drawn on the faces of a bomb squad opening a heartbreaking package. It’s the struggle of self preservation, of fulfillment, of losing yourself to and for the one’s you care about most.
Those who go to see this film hoping for their next crime thriller fix won’t be disappointed, but won’t be blown away either. It’s enough to draw up images of Insomnia (2002) and Zodiac (2007), but it’s a few rungs down the ladder. The neo-noir is there well enough, but the film is ultimately a family drama with a serial killer flair. It’s sad and thoughtful, and just a little twisted, with high points of tension and style and low points of knowing that it’s something you’ve seen done better before. A fairly standard outing for fans of the genre, with a stellar cast to boot, Night Hunter will leave you wishing you could have binged out eight-to-ten episodes in the world David Raymond created, and somewhat cheated that you don’t get to.
Night Hunter will be in select theaters — Los Angeles, CA at the Galaxy Mission Grove, NYC at the Cinema Village Theater, and in additional cities to include: Chicago, Seattle, Austin, Philadelphia, Detroit, and more — and On Demand beginning on September 6th. The film is available now on DIRECTV.
Related Article: The Serial Killers Behind Netflix’s Mindhunter
