Night Breakers (2021)

2022 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!

A group of migrants travel down a dark corridor, covered in lights, looking for a better life. Monsters lurk in the darkness and pose a threat to the group, but something else poses an even bigger threat–themselves. As they travel and do all that they can to survive, they must face themselves and come to terms with who they really are. Night Breakers is a story of self-discovery, survival, and teamwork.

I know I talk about darkness all the time, but I love when darkness is used to tell a story–when it transcends the entirety of the film and plays a role like a character would throughout the course of a narrative. Darkness is the primary vehicle by which the story of Night Breakers is told, and without it the film loses all meaning. The entirety of the film takes place in a dark corridor, and visibility is poor. As viewers navigate this dark place, they are subjected to the same horrors as the characters on screen, and even though the film is quite scary–this aspect of Night Breakers is incredibly welcoming.

The horror genre is one with which I always struggle. When I watch a comedy I expect to laugh, in an action film I should see action, but the horror genre, even in the most interesting films, can often fail to truly scare viewers. Night Breakers is an example of a horror film that is actually scary. I’m not creeped out by the monsters that hide in the shadows, but what is incredibly scary is the idea that no one can be trusted–because that's a fact of life. As the group begins to turn on one another and allegiances come into question, viewers understand that the potentially far-fetched nature of the narrative is not quite as improbable as many might initially assume. The reality is that people can often be untrustworthy, and that’s a sentiment present throughout the course of Night Breakers.

Real horror exists throughout Night Breakers, and it pulls viewers in early on and refuses to let them go. A major reason that these aspects of the film find success is the cinematography, and Director of Photography Garbiel Campoy captures everything beautifully. He understands how to capture emotion and how to express the truths of Night Breakers, and he does this with poise–effectively bringing the film to life in invigorating ways.

Night Breakers focuses heavily on both isolation and teamwork. That’s an interesting juxtaposition, but it works well for the short film. The idea of isolation comes into play with the aforementioned ideas of individuals being untrustworthy and feeling alone as a result. But teamwork plays a pivotal role in the idea of survival throughout the film as well–as without the others no one can survive. Through everything Night Breakers is ultimately a narrative about life. It depicts the sentiment that teamwork can be incredibly beneficial, but that people can often be untrustworthy. Through the cinematography, the riveting narrative, and the genuine honesty in regard to the real world, Night Breakers is a wonderfully successful film. It captures everything with vigor, and viewers are invited into this intimate setting from the opening moments.

Written & Directed by Gabriel Campy & Guillem Lafoz.

Starring Chacha Huang, Pol Fernandez, Andrew Tarbet, Anna Gonzalvo, Sergi Subirá, & Marc Padró.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10