Night Always Comes
| Night Always Comes | |
|---|---|
 Release poster | |
| Directed by | Benjamin Caron |
| Screenplay by | Sarah Conradt |
| Based on | The Night Always Comes by Willy Vlautin |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Damián García |
| Edited by | Yan Miles |
| Music by | Adam Janota Bzowski |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release date |
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Running time | 108 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
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 (who is also a producer on the film), Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zack Gottsagen, Stephen James, Randall Park, Julia Fox, Michael Kelly, and Eli Roth.
Night Always Comes was released by Netflix on August 15, 2025.[2][3]
Plot
Lynette, a desperate woman in the Pacific Northwest tries to raise money to buy the house she, her mother Doreen and Down's afflicted brother Kenny live in. She works multiple jobs, and tries to go to night school.
The day Lynette and Doreen are meant to sign papers to secure their house at the bank, her mother does not show. Arriving at their house, Doreen is there with a car she has just bought, confirming she spent the $25,000 meant for the downpayment on the house.
Lynette desperately contacts Scott, a former John she has not seen for ages. Sneaking out of her bar job to meet him, she asks for the $25,000 as a loan, but is refused. She goes through with sleeping with him as a show of good faith. Afterwards, Scott doubles the usual $500 as a parting gift, wishing her luck with the house.
Scott leaves his car keys behind in the hotel room and Lynette impulsively takes the car. A few minutes later, as she is speeding off, he contacts her. Initially, Scott sounds friendly, but soon turns hostile. Lynette drives the car to hers, leaving it open with the keys inside.
Lynette then chases down Gloria, her old friend who is a senator's mistress and owes her $3,000 for bail. The senator, Robert, is providing her the luxury apartment and designer clothes. Gloria eventually sneaks $500 out of his safe for her.
Coming across Cody, an ex-felon who also works at the same bar as Lynette, she convinces him to look at the safe for $400. As he determines it has to be opened off-site, he asks she double it.
Taking a drive to get it taken care of, Cody's contact takes a sledgehammer to the safe. Inside is cash, a Rolex, and several bags of cocaine. Lynette is threatened with a box cutter, so she admits the safe is not hers but from her escort friend's place. As they are not letting her leave with the safe's contents, she swings a heavy tool at one of their heads, causing severe damage.
Cody pulls the car around to help Lynette escape. She gets him to pull over so she can vomit. Cody helps her compose herself, then she counts the cash--$19,000. Deciding to sell Scott's wife's Mercedes, Cody says he knows someone. They have to collect Kenny on the way.
Once they locate the car, Cody turns on Lynette, taking the bag with everything and the keys to the Mercedes. She flips out, then hits him with her car, taking back the bag, but leaving him the keys.
Kenny is upset with Lynette, but after she gets him pancakes and talks to him about sticking together as family, he comes around. Since their dad left, he is now the man of the family.
Waking her pawn shop owning ex Tommy in the middle of the night, he takes them into the shop to see the goods. He weighs the coke, telling Lynette he knows someone who could buy it for $3,000. Lynette confronts him about having used her, making her turn tricks at 16. Tommy in turn tells her to never contact him again.
Tommy sends Lynette to the suburbs to sell Blake the coke. Blake messes with her, pushing her over the edge. Lynette snaps, hitting him over the head with a lamp and grabbing the money. She leaves the room, frantically looking everywhere for Kenny. She finds him, then everyone tries to hold her down, as the bleeding Blake accuses her of robbing him. Lynette falls through a glass table, then they get thrown out.
Lynette and Kenny arrive home at 5:22am, she tells him it is all over, sending him to bed, then gathers all the money together. When Doreen confronts her, she explains she spent all night recuperating the $25,000 her mother had blew the day before on the car.
Doreen helps her remove all the glass embedded in her back. Lynette insists her mom go with her to pay the $25,000 but she insists she is tired and does not want the house anymore. She hates it and would rather burn it down because it has too many memories. Lynette confronts her, wondering how she could let her work so hard to get the money if she did not want the house all along. She asked her mom if she ever wanted to live with her and she does not answer.
Lynette says she is going to take Kenny with her, which Doreen dares her to. Her mom continues to bring up Lynette's past mistakes, including her former relationship with Tommy at 16. Lynette cries, asking her why she did not protect her against the abusive man, when she needed her mom the most. Doreen informs her she made plans with Mona for her and Kenny to move in.
David calls Lynette, leaving a message to tell her he went with a buyer who had a higher bid for the house, explaining he gave her family way too many chances. She hangs up the phone mid-message.
Lynette climbs into bed with Kenny, telling him she has to go away, but will be back to visit. Kenny and she tell each other 'I love you'. Lynette says she is going to think about him every moment of every second. Kenny tells her he will always be her big brother and will always protect her, then that he has to go to bed right now.
Lynette grabs her bag, leaves some money for them and walks out the door. The voiceover reading her note to Doreen says, “Mom you asked me what I did last night. And last night I fought and fought for my family. Please take care of Kenny because he needs his mom & that I will continue to do what I’ve always done-- fight.”
Cast
- Vanessa Kirby as Lynette
- Jennifer Jason Leigh as Doreen, Lynette and Kenny's mother
- Zack Gottsagen as Kenny, Lynette's older brother
- Stephan James as Cody, an ex-felon who works with Lynette at the bar
- Randall Park as Scott, a client of Lynette when she was working as an escort
- Julia Fox as Gloria, an old friend of Lynette's who owes her money
- Michael Kelly as Tommy, Lynette's ex-boyfriend who forced her into sex work when she was 16
- Eli Roth as Blake, a man who Tommy refers Lynette to to buy her cocaine
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 commenced in Portland, Oregon in the spring of 2024.[7]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 56% of 41 critics' reviews are positive.[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[9]
References
- ^ "Night Always Comes (15)". British Board of Film Classification. August 5, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- ^ 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.
- ^ VanHoose, Benjamin (July 17, 2025). "Watch Vanessa Kirby's Electrifying Race Against Time in Night Always Comes Trailer (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Filming of 'The Night Always Comes' will cause Portland bridge traffic delays". Oregon Live. May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- ^ "Night Always Comes". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
- ^ "Night Always Comes". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 18, 2025.