Night Hunter (3/5) – Movie Review

NIGHT HUNTER is a new thriller action about a serial killer. The movie is also known as Nomis and stars Henry Cavill, Ben Kingsley, Alexandra Daddario, and Stanley Tucci. Overall, this is a very interesting movie that should entertain most. More in our Night Hunter review here!

Night Hunter is a new serial killer movie in the thriller action genre. It has been compared to Se7en which I think is taking it a few steps too far. However, I must admit that I was very well entertained. It does however have a few missteps along the way that keeps it from reaching any sort of Se7en level.

The cast of Night Hunter (which is also known under the title Nomis) is very impressive and all the actors definitely deliver stellar performances! 

Read more about the cast and plot in our full Night Hunter review below.

A very impressive cast

As the story in Night Hunter progresses, you keep seeing more familiar faces, which is definitely a big part of what makes the movie work.

We have Henry Cavill, Alexandra Daddario (San Andreas), and Stanley Tucci (The Silence) who all work for the police. Then we have Ben Kingsley who is a vigilante hunting child molesters in his own way and we have Brendan Fletcher as “Simon”. And yes, Simon is the serial killer trapped in this movie. That’s basically what the movie begins with so I’m hardly spoiling anything.

Brendan Fletcher is pretty damn brilliant as Simon. Even if I was very irritated with him at times – that’s sort of the point, since the police is struggling to get any information out of him. You’ll understand when you watch Night Hunter.

We also have Nathan Fillion (Santa Clarita Diet and Castle) in a small supporting role. In fact, I can’t help but think that part of this character arc is on a cutting room floor somewhere. Also, Minka Kelly (The Roommate) is in the movie as the estranged wife of Marshall (Henry Cavill). Again, a way too small role without any real purpose. 

Overall, this is a very interesting movie that should entertain most.

The ending of Night Hunter

The serial killer in Night Hunter is not one we’ve seen before. He’s not based on any real-life serial killer as it’s the case with the Netflix serial killer series Mindhunter or Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.

Don’t miss: Our Season 2 review of Mindhunter here >

Instead, it’s a new serial killer created for this movie. In that sense, it does compare to Se7en (1995) or even The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Even if Hannbal Lecter was inspired by a real-life doctor from Mexico.

However, as a whole, the plot in Night Hunter isn’t as strong as in either of the two mentioned. Okay, to be fair, the two serial killer movies I mentioned are among the very best, so maybe that isn’t a fair standard to expect. 

Still, I found myself getting annoyed during some scenes towards the ending. Not so much because the plot was silly and weird, but more due to the reactions (or lack thereof) from characters. And yet, I did find Night Hunter to be very entertaining. Even the ending which does pull everything together and explains how it’s all connected. 

Watch Night Hunter at home now!

David Raymond wrote and directed Night Hunter. This is his first feature film and his second film overall, since he did make a short film in 2013. The alternative title of Night Hunter is Nomis and this is still what it’s listed as on IMDb, so look for that title to read more about the movie.

Writer-director David Raymond does have another movie coming up. He has already announced that he’ll be writing and directing the movie Absence of War but we don’t know more about when to expect its release. It isn’t even in pre-production yet, so it may never be made.

However, based on his work with this movie, I would certainly be curious to see what he comes up with next. If you loved Se7en, then Night Hunter is definitely a movie for you. It’s not nearly as good, but it is perfect for a good night in at the home theater.

Night Hunter is out in the UK on Digital HD from November 4 and will be out on DVD from November 11, 2019. In the US you can watch it now on demand and on DVD.

Details

Director: David Raymond
Writer: David Raymond
Stars: Henry Cavill, Ben Kingsley, Alexandra Daddario, Stanley Tucci, Brendan Fletcher, Minka Kelly, Nathan Fillion

Plot

On the hunt for an elusive serial rapist and murderer, battle-hardened cop Marshall (Henry Cavill) crosses paths with vigilante duo Cooper (Ben Kingsley) and Julia (Eliana Jones) as they trap online predators and deliver their own extreme methods of justice. When Julia is kidnapped, Marshall, Cooper and the police hunt down the perpetrator but the psychologically damaged man they capture only deepens the mystery surrounding the killings. Good-cop Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) believes the captured killer, who is linked to years of female abductions and murders, is harbouring multiple personalities, one of which may hold answers. But with Marshall taking a harder stance, pressure from the Commissioner (Stanley Tucci), and a public out for blood, the plot thickens.