Midnighters

A notable genre surprise early in the year.

A low-budget film noir that benefits greatly from its tautness and lack of pretension.

Plays like "Blood Simple's" impressionable but less proficient kid brother, nevertheless has some devious touches of its own.

A twisty thriller with horror-movie flourishes.

By focusing more on suspense and tension than gore, the brothers Ramsay (director Julius, writer Alston) have crafted an economical and effective alternative to the many disappointing big-budget entries into this genre.

The intersection between crime thriller and horror is an interesting place to be, even if it doesn't fully pay off in Midnighters.

[An] economical, engaging neo-noir.

Ideally, a story like this executes one sharp turn after another while keeping its wheels on the road of plausibility. The Ramsays have pulled off that feat with aplomb.

A solid tale, told pretty damn well.

Midnighters occasionally relies on tropes but it makes for an entertaining watch.

At some point ... the motives of these characters shift, and as that happens, it becomes more difficult to find any feeling of sympathy for them.

Chock full of surprises up its sleeve, especially in that it's a thriller of errors beginning unlikable that over time reveals itself to be twisted and thoughtful, commenting on gender politics and more