Take the Night

Seth McTigue’s debut feature is a modest but accomplished mix of caper suspense, tricky plotting and dysfunctional family dynamics.

"Take the Night" is a concertina, a family crime drama of second chances, worth a look to see if they're secured or squandered.

After finishing this film, audiences will have at least 20 questions about the film's plot. Thankfully, there is enough good in this movie to suggest it on a very light level.

Hopefully McTigue takes what he’s learned here and returns to the genre – it feels like a real classic is somewhere just in the making.

... the audience is prompted to consider that wealth comes not from what one has but what one values. It’s rare to say, but, in this instance, adding some fat onto this meal would not only make it far more savory, but give it the depth it only hints at.

One would be forgiven for initially believing this was a remake of David Fincher's 1997 drama The Game. But Take the Night quickly swerves off in its own direction.

McTigue’s budget was one million dollars, and he wisely spends his money on locations and sets. Better yet is his decision to spend most of his time on the characters. Their conversations, behavior, and decisions drive the film rather than the plot.

Seth McTigue’s feature debut starts with the violent abduction of a CEO, before exploring clashes of brotherhood and class

A debut feature from writer, director and star Seth McTigue, whose tricky shuffling of brotherly love with envy-rich rivalry presents similar dynamics in two families on different ends of New York City's socio-economic spectrum.

“Take the Night” has some good things going for it, but not enough to save it from itself.