Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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When it comes to the action, you’ll love The Night Comes For Us. However, in terms of story… well, the fight scenes compensate for that.
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| Director(s) | Timo Tjahjanto | |
| Written By | Timo Tjahjanto | |
| Date Released | 10/19/2018 | |
| Genre(s) | Action | |
| Good If You Like | Scenes Which Make You Flinch | |
| Noted Cast | ||
| Ito | Joe Taslim | |
| Bobby | Zack Lee | |
| Reina | Asha Kenyeri Bermudez | |
| Arian | Iko Uqais | |
| Chien Wu | Sunny Pang | |
| Alma | Dian Sastrowardoyo | |
| Elena | Hannah Al Rashid | |
| The Operator | Julie Estelle | |
| Yohan | Revaldo | |
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Summary (Character Endings on 2nd Page)
Ito was once part of a small time crew until one of its members, Bobby, decided to get into the coke and smack game. Because of him, Ito had to join the Triad and over the course of 3 years, he ended up what is known as a 6 Sea. The members of that group controlled the smuggling of goods within south-east Asia but one day Ito decides to break out. A man known as a killing machine stops because one child, Reina, the last remaining person in a village which is littered with corpses, is seen by Ito.
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And with him not killing her and instead creating a way for him to escape, he is considered a traitor. Leading to someone else who left the crew, albeit voluntarily, Arian, tasked to find and bring Ito either to his maker or to Arian’s mentor Chien Wu.
Thus setting us up to see two men, who were once like brothers, now facing off.
Highlights
The Women Fighting (Video Contains Spoiler)
With most action movies only employing one, maybe two women, seeing three who are utter badasses was something. Especially since they each had a different specialty which made watching them eye-opening. Alma had this wire (not piano or guitar string, but a bit thicker) for a weapon which she used to choke and rip people’s flesh. Elena, who was more into using a blade, had this badass, Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde vibe. She fought men, albeit after they’ve been through hell, and with each kill, your eyes opened up like a kid on Christmas looking at their presents. Then there was “The Operator.” Between her kills and how the scene in the video above ends, all you will do is drop your jaw. For truly, you probably haven’t seen such a badass, male or female, in your life or a long ass time.
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It Is Just Brutal
From hearing bones break, seeing people stabbed in the neck, guts hanging out, and so much more, this is a brutal movie. I’m talking, you will flinch so much you might feel like you are actively trying to do Kegels.
Criticism
You Telling Me He Didn’t Die – You Gotta Suspend Your Disbelief
There are multiple moments in the film where you have to seriously question why someone didn’t die. Between where these people get shot or stabbed, or scenes where bullets are flying but don’t hit Ito, you feel the need to call BS. Specifically, the scene when Ito is behind Yohan’s desk and people are firing automatic weapons, into a plain old wooden desk, yet Ito isn’t hit by a single bullet.
Though, in general, there are a huge amount of Rambo moments when you are left questioning why didn’t so and so die? If not, how are they still alive and fighting after what they’ve been through over the last few days?
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On The Fence
The Story
There are very few action movies which pursue having just enough story to help you understand why this person is trying to kill, or kick, this other person. The Night Comes For Us is that kind of movie. Ito’s journey you kind of get, in the form of him being unable to kill this kid being the spark that made him remember his humanity. Also, you can understand Arian, coming from nothing, wanting to impress Chien Wu and rise to the position Arian did. However, if you go beyond the basic things you need to understand what’s happening, then you begin to lose it a bit.
Such as, considering how brutal the Triad is shown, why wasn’t Ito’s crew just wiped out when Bobby got into the drug trade without permission? Also, considering Reina is seen as a liability of some kind, why was there minimal effort to kill her? On top of that, there are somethings like, Alma and Elena being Lotus, and it never being explained what that is. Never mind, what will happen to The Operator after all she did? It’s stuff like that which, when the film decides to not keep up the pace, and give you an extended break, you think about and it makes the movie lose its luster. No matter how violent the fight scenes.
The Final Fight
Let me begin with saying, you have to take note that the last fight comes after Ita has been through hell and probably shouldn’t have the ability to walk. For no matter how much adrenaline is pumping, he should be in dire need of pain pills, bandages, if not some time in a hospital. Yet, considering they make him, and damn near everyone else seem like you have to behead them to kill him, it makes him finally slowing down during the final fight unfortunate.
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However, between perhaps acknowledging Ito’s pain and trying to present some kind of ending to the story, you get why they had to enter more conversation and backstory. After all, the movie doesn’t really push any real kind of heart into anything which goes on. Bad things happened, a girl is likely traumatized for life, but who really started watching this for a heartfelt story? The film, seemingly, knows that is not why people watch so, for some menial sense of closure, we get a lackluster fight which will have you going:
Overall: Mixed (Divisive) | Watch on Netflix
What you are ultimately left remembering is seeing bones break and being amazed at the choreography of these fights. For when it comes to the story, you’ll just feel that they put enough effort into it so that you get why this person was facing off against that one – barely. Hence the mixed label. As an action movie, this contains all you expect from bewildering fight scenes and a need to suspend disbelief when people are still able to walk after getting stabbed, sliced, kicked, and punched as they do. However, what keeps this from really being great is it lacks heart and emotion. It’s just all about kicking ass, trying to not get shot, and many times someone seeming like they should have died in the last fight they were in.
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