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Night Catches Us

Play trailer Poster for Night Catches Us R Released Dec 3, 2010 1h 30m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 59 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
When ex-Black Panther Marcus (Anthony Mackie) returns to Philadelphia for the funeral of his father, he knows it's not going to be an easy visit. Many of his old radical friends, including "DoRight" Miller (Jamie Hector), still believe that Marcus was responsible for the death of a Panther leader right before he took off. While trying to convince everyone he's not a snitch, Marcus rekindles his relationship with Patricia (Kerry Washington), the widow of the slain leader.
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Night Catches Us

Night Catches Us

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Critics Consensus

A bold, original debut, Night Catches Us personalizes a tumultuous period in American history thanks to strong performances from Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington.

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Critics Reviews

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Michael Sragow The New Yorker The result is a personal work of art rather than a docudrama, and it was a stirring début for Hamilton ... Oct 9, 2017 Full Review Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online Night Catches Us shouldn't be confused for something as blanket as "that black panther movie" or even a political movie, but more like a story about what it really takes to move on when you're so stuck on here. Rated: A Sep 9, 2017 Full Review Dwight Brown National Newspaper Publishers Association For those people who are looking for a revealing glimpse into that social/political/cultural movement, this poorly conceived ode to the Panthers is not illuminating. Rated: 2/4 Nov 8, 2016 Full Review Marya E. Gates Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack) David Tumblety’s languid cinematography brings the film beautifully to life, with moments rendered almost like the still photography of the era. Feb 13, 2024 Full Review David Harris Spectrum Culture Although Night Catches Us feels scattershot, Hamilton peppers the movie with some indelible moments. Rated: 2.9/5 Oct 29, 2019 Full Review Sean Burns Philadelphia Weekly The script undercuts the measured performances with blunt, melodramatic proclamations. May 3, 2015 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member A rare sighting of Anthony Mackie in a lead role! Night Catches Us nails its setting of a blue-collar, colored neighborhood where the community is small and tight-knit, however its story fails to grip as much context is not revealed until the final 15 minutes, and we fail to understand why the protagonist is even required to conquer the challenges that the film has him face. The film is helped by a good (not great) performance by Mackie, but overall, despite some really important historical themes, the film somehow feels inconsequential. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review adam b Every story has the right to be told and this story is particular is one of the more important ones. A strong direction and heavy themes make this film, with a complex and revealing story that helps this film stick out from the rest of the Civil Right-themed films. A must see Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member You're not even going to see it, snitch. One day the lights are just going to go out. Taking place in the late 70s, a man returns to his home from the military in the rough parts of Philadelphia. He finds most of his friends targeted by the police and a former crush with a son and too many responsibilities. He is often targeted by a former friend as a possible snitch because of perceived historical events. His crush sees him as a man that runs away from his problems. Can the soldier dealing with his own issues ever fit back into the neighborhood, or will the neighborhood discard him like so many others? "You're all fighting imaginary enemies." Tanya Hamilton, director of an episode of Split Screen, delivers Night Catches Us in her directorial debut. The storyline for this picture is very interesting and the settings and feel for the time period was very good. I did enjoy the characters depicted in this film and the dialogue was compelling and strong. The cast delivers solid performances and includes Kerry Washington, Anthony Mackie, Tariq Trotter, Ron Simons, Jamara Griffin, Sadiq Afif, and Thomas Roy. "The bible verse, I put it back the way it was." I am a fan of Scandal and Kerry Washington and came across this movie while scrolling through Netflix and decided to give it a shot (especially since I had never heard of it). I enjoyed the storyline for this picture and the interactions between characters. This is far from one of the better films in this genre, but it is entertaining and worth watching. I would give this movie at least one viewing but I wouldn't add it to my DVD collection. "We have some constitutional issues here, mother fucker." Grade: B-/B Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member Excellent film. Can't believe I wasn't aware of it. Tanya Hamilton does a great job of exploring the social-political complexities of the Black-Power movement. Strong, believable performances by Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington. Great period styling and attention to detail. I highly recommend this film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Good directorial debut from Hamilton and a good performance from Kerry Washington. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Powerful message with a flat ending. I still give it 5 stars for bringing to life history that really took place. You always hear stories about the black movement, but you never hear the impact that it has on the Mother, Fathers, Sisters, Brothers, Children and the community. The film did leave me with a lot of unanswered question, but it also left me a with a glimpse of untold story of the families who had to witness such a struggle behind the scenes. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis When ex-Black Panther Marcus (Anthony Mackie) returns to Philadelphia for the funeral of his father, he knows it's not going to be an easy visit. Many of his old radical friends, including "DoRight" Miller (Jamie Hector), still believe that Marcus was responsible for the death of a Panther leader right before he took off. While trying to convince everyone he's not a snitch, Marcus rekindles his relationship with Patricia (Kerry Washington), the widow of the slain leader.
Director
Tanya Hamilton
Producer
Ron Simons, Sean Costello, Jason Orans
Screenwriter
Tanya Hamilton
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Production Co
Gigantic Pictures
Rating
R (Language|Violence|Some Sexuality)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 3, 2010, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 2, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$75.8K
Runtime
1h 30m
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