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The Night Of (2016) - TV Series Review (Mini-Series)


The Nigh Of is a mini-series from HBO and it's about a guy who, on one night, finds himself in a very sticky situation when the girl he was with ends up dead and he becomes the main suspect. From a glance, this might look like another murder mystery type show, but in actuality, it is more about being in this situation, and how the system is flawed. 

In usual HBO fashion, the pacing of the show is slow, but the good kind. Everything takes its time and lets you soak it all in. The tension slowly creeps up on you during crucial moments, and builds and builds, putting you on the edge of your seat, without rushing anything. Since there are only eight episodes, there isn't a moment of boredom to be found, even if things slow down to a great deal. 

From crime-scene to police stations and trials, everything feels laid out to a great degree of detail. People are simply doing there job, going about their business while the protagonist finds himself in this situation. It all felt natural. No ones fully evil, or fully good. They are all flawed, like people are, which is something I really liked about this show. Another aspect that made it feel natural, and real, was how unceremonious it felt at times. Going into detail would lead to spoiler territory so I'll stop.   

There are a lot of characters, and the performances from the cast were great all around. Riz Ahmed did a terrific job as this average 23 year old Pakistani student who gets trapped in this situation. You feel for him, and the show does a good job of showing what something like this can do to you. Standout performance for me though was from John Turturro, who plays the low level lawyer. He was simply OUTSTANDING. I felt more for him than the protagonist, that's how good he was. It was also great to see my boys Omar Little (aka Michael Kenneth) and Bodey (aka JD Williams) back in an HBO show, the Wire feeling is always welcomed. 

The show looked beautiful. Great cinematography. The OST was nice. 

Overall, it's a great mini-series that I would definitely recommend. It unsettles you. This rings true for you more when you put yourself in the shoes of the protagonist. Only eight episodes so it won't take long to finish. 

8.5/10
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