Nightwatch (1997)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Ole Bornedal

Writers (WGA):

Ole Bornedal (film Nattevagten)
Ole Bornedal (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 April 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

He's the prime suspect in a terrifying mystery. The police are after him and so is the murderer.

Plot:

Ewan McGregor plays a law student who takes a job as a night watchman at a morgue. He begins to discover...

Plot Keywords:

Morgue | Student | Corpse | Night Watchman | Suspect

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Ewan McGregor	...	Martin Bells
Patricia Arquette	...	Katherine
Josh Brolin	...	James Gallman
Lauren Graham	...	Marie
Nick Nolte	...	Inspector Thomas Cray
Brad Dourif	...	Duty Doctor
Alix Koromzay	...	Joyce
Lonny Chapman	...	Johnson, Old Watchman
Erich Anderson	...	Newscaster
Scott Burkholder	...	College Professor
Michael Matthys	...	Guy in Pub
Alison Gale	...	Girlfriend of Guy in Pub
Robert LaSardo	...	Pub Thug
Mongo	...	Pub Thug
Candy Ann Brown	...	Female Paramedic

MPAA:

Rated R for strong, morbid violence, language, sexuality, and some drug content.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:18 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Japan:R | Netherlands:16 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

The photograph on the bulletin board at the guard desk that Martin notices when he shows up for his first shift and asks the old watchman about, is a famous photo of Lewis Thornton Powell (also known as Lewis Paine or Lewis Payne), a conspirator with John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln.

Quotes:

Katherine: You had strange dreams last night.
Martin Bells: I did?
Katherine: Mmm. You were breathing really heavily. Kept kicking your legs and moaning.
Martin Bells: You sure we weren't having sex?
Katherine: Pretty sure. Yeah.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Zulu Late Night, Live!: (#1.1)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Largo el Factotum

Seven Out Of Ten.

This horror thriller was scripted by Ole Bornedal and Steven Soderbergh, based on Bornedal's own 1995 Danish movie "Nattevagten."

Martin Bells (Ewan McGregor, playing an American reasonably well) is a law student who takes a job as a night watchman at a spooky morgue. While his outgoing friend James (Josh Brolin) tries to goad him into taking chances in life, a serial killer is butchering woman - and Martin eventually falls under suspicion.

Above average for the genre, this has a superb cast, and genuine suspense and a good music score. Not quite good enough to make it particularly memorable, but still a good effort. At least it's not overly formulaic or predictable.

The invaluable Brad Dourif, once again playing an unappealing character, is the grumpy duty doctor at the morgue and he has a great line when McGregor starts crying wolf: "Can I interest you in something from the 'zine' family - thorazine (etc.)?" That gave me a good laugh.

I gave this one seven out of ten.