Nightwatch (1998)

recommended

Fantastic!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Creepy, suspenseful, but fairly formulaic whodunit murder-slasher flick. The fact that it's about a young law school student, decently played by Ewan McGregor, who moonlights as a night watchman in a morgue, giving the audience frequent views of the recently brought-in cadavers, some of whom are victims of an on-the-loose serial killer, adds a nice touch of scariness here. Generally good acting by just about everyone, similarly good cinematography, with a script to die for, npi. I first saw this film shortly after its release in 1997. I watch a lot of this sort: What really made NIGHTWATCH stand out to the point where I still remembered it years later was the fine performance and script of one of the supporting characters, Brad Dourif as the unnamed "Duty Doctor," who is darkly hilarious here. Sample script from the Doctor: "Can I offer you something?. . . . Have you ever spent any time with the 'Zine' family? Thorazine? Stellazine? Compazine? They're really very nice! They will make you sing hymns while you watch a baby fall under a train!"

This film tells the story of a law student who works in the local morgue to make some extra cash. He is unfortunately involved in a series of murder."Nightwatch" has a very good story. Initially it is a little slow as it provides the background to the jigsaw, and the constant reference to mortality was a little too much and too contrived. After the jigsaw was laid out, the twists and turns were quite engaging. There were so may clues pointing at one direction, but you will have to watch the film to see what happens at the end. The final scenes were filled with urgency and thrill, making the ending so memorable and engaging. I liked "Nightwatch" because it is very unexpectedly scary in the end!

Co-writer / director Ole Bornedal's English language remake of his earlier Danish hit "Nattevagten" is pretty good stuff, a substantially atmospheric and creepy thriller that milks the ambiance of its locations for everything that they're worth. Ewan McGregor, doing a superb American accent, is law student Martin Bells, who takes a part time job as night watchman at the city morgue. His best friend James (Josh Brolin) is bored with their humdrum lives and goes about doing some reckless things, while a serial killer is haunting the city and taking the eyeballs from his victims. The movie can boast some solid suspense sequences, and is also beautifully lit (by Dan Laustsen) and scored (by Joachim Holbek). It's got some decent gore going for it, but mostly it's all about the mood with "Nightwatch". The cast is excellent all the way down the line, with McGregor highly likable in the lead. Patricia Arquette plays his girlfriend, and figures in what is one of the best moments in the film, as she comes very close to encountering the killer. Brolin is fun as the risk taking friend, and Nick Nolte offers an interesting and entertaining performance as the police inspector on the trail of the killer. Brad Dourif has a great supporting part as the grumpy duty doctor who suggests McGregor get acquainted with drugs from the "zine" family when the latter cries wolf, Alix Koromzay is memorable as a prostitute, and Lonny Chapman has a great little bit as the veteran night watchman who trains McGregor. John C. Reilly appears uncredited in the key supporting role of Deputy Inspector Davis. The build up to the finale is so strong that the ultimate confrontation & action can't quite measure up (intriguingly, our killer is identified sooner than we'd expect), but Bornedal still does an impressive job of marrying soundtrack and image throughout his film. It gets off to a great start with its opening credits, and is fundamentally a neat little story, well told and well paced with no filler to have to deal with. It's an enjoyable film that deserves another look from genre fans. Seven out of 10.

Though somewhat flawed, "Nightwatch" delivers the suspense and blood, although in the end logic flies out the window. Ewan McGregor is perfectly cast as a law student with the bizarre job of guarding dead bodies in the medical examiners office. Nick Nolte plays a police detective very well, and John C. Reilly is his sidekick. In addition there is Josh Brolin as McGregor's eccentric friend, Patricia Arquette as a bewildered girlfriend, and Brad Dourif as an ultra strange doctor. The film is very creepy, unpredictable, with at least a bunch of "red herrings", and builds tension nicely. Only the somewhat rushed conclusion fails to convince. What precedes it however is highly entertaining. Recommended, although it is not for the squeamish. - MERK