The Sunlit Night (2020) – Review/Summary (with Spoilers)

While Jenny Slate’s character finds herself a pleasant and relatable wakeup call, all that happens around her may lead to a raised eyebrow or indifference.

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Director(s)	David Wnendt
Screenplay By	Rebecca Dinerstein Knight
Date Released (Digital)	7/17/2020
Genre(s)	Drama
Duration	1 hour, 18 minutes
Rating	Not Rated
Noted Cast
Frances	Jenny Slate
Nils	Fridtjov Såheim
Haldor	Zach Galifianakis

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

Plot Summary

Frances is a bit stuck in life. She, alongside her sister and parents, live in this small Manhattan apartment, in which no one has a bedroom. Her parents sleep in a pull out couch and Frances, alongside her sister, in bunkbeds like they are children.

Now, as for why they live this way? Well, Frances’ sister is still in school, to become a lawyer, and the rest of the family are artists. But with each one feeling stagnant or stifled, a series of events come about to shake things up. Both Frances and her father break up with their partners, and to really push herself over the edge, Frances takes a job in Norway.

Thus setting up what could be considered a restart from Frances so that the distractions from the world don’t get away from her love and focus – painting. Of which gets inspired by the people she meets and the situations she walks into.

Review

Highlight

Jenny Slate

The saving grace is Slate as Frances. For it is through her persona that you can appreciate Frances’ knowledge and explanation about art and the Norwegian landscape. Mind you, not to the level that “Columbus” could get you interested in architecture, but that’s thanks to Frances’ art appreciation not being formatted for someone who isn’t aware of color palettes and terms. Plus, while Frances helps liven up the film with her curiosity and willingness to interact and be involved, there is, but so much she can do.

On The Fence

It Heavily Relies on Slate To Keep You Interested

While you can appreciate the visuals, and Slate always bringing a certain awe to her character’s journey, one of the biggest issues with “The Sunlit Night” is the people she encounters, and some of the locals, lack stimulation. Frances’ family, despite their drama and issues, don’t bring much to entice you. Her sister is a means for her father to flip out. Her mother, possibly long-suffering, is yet another means to show how much of an ass her father is.

Then when we go to Norway, Frances deals with a recluse, hot, and cold mentor in Nils, who doesn’t evolve and gain some sense of complexity. There is an attempt to make him seem human, but like Frances’ father, he doesn’t firmly move beyond being a grumpy old man.

This isn’t to imply we don’t ever hear Frances try to justify who they are and why they act as they do, but there is something about a third party having to explain things which pushes you to believe a character isn’t strong enough on their own. So there is a realization they have to be explained for the audience to either get it, or feel any sense of empathy.

And we could continue to talk about the random Viking funeral that happens, or Zach Galifianakis’ character who is from Cincinnati, yet heads the Viking village experience, but that doesn’t bring anything funny or interesting to the film. It’s just a quirk that doesn’t elicit thoughts like, “Tell me more,” but more so, “Why?”

Overall Rating

Would Watch Again? – One and Done

Rating: Mixed (Divisive)

While we appreciate arthouse indie films and how they don’t necessarily seek mainstream opinions and audiences, but wouldn’t mind their patronage, “The Sunlit Night” is a hard sell. For as much as Slate’s charm will get you through the movie, it doesn’t make it better. I would say it is akin to taking a pill to deal with pain in that it dulls the more lackluster aspects of the film, but doesn’t solve the problem.

Hence why we’re making this as mixed. You can certainly enjoy “The Sunlit Night” and how it presents the idea that a change in scenery, culture, and willingness to participate, can reinvigorate your life. However, like many art films, while you get the point, the journey that is attached to it will make you question, even at $6 to rent, if you should have waited until it was “free” as part of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and etc.

Where To Watch