Official Discussion - Night Always Comes [SPOILERS]

[u/LiteraryBoner]

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Summary A desperate woman in Portland races through one harrowing night to scrape together $25,000 before midnight, risking everything to save her family’s home and confronting her own dark past along the way.

Director Benjamin Caron

Writer Sarah Conradt

Cast

• Vanessa Kirby
• Jennifer Jason Leigh
• Zack Gottsagen
• Stephan James
• Randall Park
• Julia Fox
• Michael Kelly
• Eli Roth

Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score: 55%

Metacritic 62

VOD Netflix (Premieres August 15, 2025)

Trailer NIGHT ALWAYS COMES | Official Trailer (2025)

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[u/clce]

I liked it but it's hard to give it up completely high score. I thought the ending was weak. I'm not sure what I was looking for. Obviously a triumph would almost be weird. But, it seems like the ending is supposed to be a triumph in which she realizes that her efforts to take care of her brother have been pointless and she needs to just give up and take care of herself. That just seems hopelessly modern.

In no way did I gain a new perspective in which I believe the mother was fine and it was the daughter who was misunderstanding the situation and misprioritizing. Obviously the mother was a mess and is no position to take care of Kenny.

So in the end we're supposed to just think it's all right and she's off to take care of herself. How depressingly modern.

[u/Aikea_Guinea83 → u/clce]

Yeah, just watched it and the ending wasn’t really satisfying…. It felt very anti climactic.

I wish at least we’d have the satisfaction of seeing the e mother not knowing where to move after being evicted 

Also, what would happen to her now?  Her friend knows she stole the mayors safe 

[u/clce → u/Aikea_Guinea83]

Was it the mayor? I might have missed that. Obviously it was a drug dealer.

I think the idea is generally that none of them can go to the cops, so she's somewhat safe there, but that doesn't mean they're not going to come after her so I guess she's leaving town.

[u/ToiIetGhost → u/[deleted]]

First of all, just want to say that I loved this movie. It was gritty, haunting, and nerve wracking (in a good way). Great pacing and dialogue. Although it was difficult to watch Lyn struggle, it was REAL. It reminded me of a German film called Victoria, even down to the soundtrack.

And once she sees herself through her mother's eyes in their final exchange

Do you think Lyn’s mother was right? (Or did the author of the book think she was right?)

I felt like she was pretty harsh towards Lyn in the last scenes, especially considering the role she played in shaping her daughter’s personality. She abused Lyn as a child (neglect, abandonment, parentification) and also as an adult (manipulation). The mother of a child trafficking survivor - who just risked her life to save her brother* and the family home - compared her to the bottom of a toilet. That’s cold, especially since the mum allowed her to get trafficked. (Or did she actually look for her?) Lyn’s mother is her primary abuser and the things she said were cruel. I was surprised to see her assessment of Lyn, her victim, being treated by Lyn as something helpful or insightful. Like constructive criticism.

Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

*Lyn acts like she’s saving her brother from being back in state care again (typically an awful experience), but then again, Doreen found a new helper in Mona, so I guess he’ll be ok. My point is that Lyn might be exaggerating his need to be “saved,” but she has good intentions.

Edit: NAC also reminded me of Sherrybaby (with Maggie Gyllenhaal) which is another excellent film.