Netflix release for Night Always Comes

A Netflix drama led by Vanessa Kirby, Night Always Comes, tests a mother’s resolve as she fights to secure her family’s future in Portland.

Vanessa Kirby Sways in Night Always Comes Despite Flawed Script

Night Always Comes follows Lynette as she fights to stabilize her family by buying their dilapidated Portland home. Vanessa Kirby anchors the story with a central, physically intense performance, while Jennifer Jason Leigh and Zack Gottsagen provide troubled, supportive counterweights. The film, adapted from Willy Vlautin’s novel and produced for Netflix by Kirby, combines a tense late-night chase with a grounded sense of place in the city’s margins.

Visually it earns points for its location work and production design, which keep the setting tactile and real. Yet the momentum wades through scenes that feel longer than necessary and a script that leans on exposition about Lynette’s past rather than letting the character reveal herself in action. Even when the story hits a brisk, hair-raising moment—such as Lynette’s escape or a high-stakes confrontation—the overall arc struggles to sustain the drama to its late moments. The film ends up feeling sturdy in parts and hollow in others, despite a commitment from its lead to carry the weight.

The film tests a strong premise with a clock that never stops ticking. It asks viewers to cheer for a character whose past is repeatedly described rather than demonstrated, which undercuts some of the emotional payoff Kirby is capable of delivering. The tension between exposition and action is the core weakness: we hear repeatedly about Lynette’s rage and bad choices, but the screenplay rarely shows the reckoning in a way that lands. Still, Kirby’s emotional range keeps the film afloat, and the Portland setting gives the story a grounded texture that helps it feel more real than its more contrived moments. The final act lands with more clarity than the middle, offering a concentrated burst of energy that hints at the film’s true potential when the script allows the performance to drive the pace.

Highlights

The film tests a strong lead against a fragile blueprint.