No movie has epitomized the phrase “Freaks come out at night” as well as Fred Carpenter’s The Night Never Sleeps. The film has been gaining acclaim on the festival circuit and recently played at the Quentin Tarantino backed Real Film Festival. With a cast that includes Armand Assante and Eric Roberts, it is one of the best indie flicks of the year.
Set in New York City, The Night Never Sleeps is a crime drama written by career cop Michael Lovaglio and follows Police Sergeant Thomas Cavanaugh (Dan Brennan) as he navigates through a world of gangsters, prostitutes, and crooked cops in order to solve the murder of one of his officers. Gang leader, appropriately named, Iceman (Russ Camarda) is the main antagonist and sees the city as a playground for his unforgivable misdeeds. Camarda also steals the film with a spectacularly stoic and controlled performance.
Carpenter adds rawness by utlizing a harsh street-thug type of tone. He shoots in a brutally realistic manner that is reminiscent of great crime dramas such as The Wire. Also noteworthy are the performances of Armand Assante and Eric Roberts who seem to have been made for both roles.
The Night Never Sleeps has us believing life on the streets can be so damn romantic.
Rating: Carpenter brings raw crime drama back with this indie flick. We’re looking forward to seeing what his next film will be (9/10)
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