Night Hunter, originally тιтled Nomis, is climbing a global streaming chart. Written and directed by David Raymond, the 2018 action thriller stars Henry Cavill as a police lieutenant who, along with his entire squad and a lone vigilante, is drawn into a perilous plot surrounding a disturbed man connected to a string of female abductions over the years.
In addition to Henry Cavill in the lead role, its surprisingly star-studded cast also includes Oscar winner Ben Kingsley (Gandhi), Emmy nominee Alexandra Daddario (The White Lotus season 1), Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones), Brendan Fletcher, Minka Kelly, Nathan Fillion, Mpho Koaho, Emma Tremblay, Eliana Jones, Daniela Lavender, Beverly Noukwu, Dylan Penn, and Carlyn Burchell.
Now, seven years after its release, Night Hunter ranks third in the Top 10 movies on Paramount+ in the world for today, September 15. It ranks below Top Gun: Maverick and The Lost City, and above Novocaine, Heart Eyes, Scary Movie 2, Jack Reacher, Stans, Scary Movie, and Gladiator II.
Night Hunter isn’t available on Paramount+ in the United States, though it is streaming for free on Tubi and The Roku Channel.
What Night Hunter’s Streaming Success Means For The Movie
Night Hunter premiered at the LA Film Festival in 2018, where it was originally тιтled Nomis, and later received a theatrical release through Saban Films, though it only made a mere $1 million at the box office. As a result, Night Hunter has been quite underseen over the years, until its recent streaming success.
This is because Night Hunter was cast aside by critics, evidenced by its dismal 14% score on Rotten Tomatoes, coupled with a marginally better 50% score from audiences. Critics panned the film for being overly forced and filled with clichés, squandering a talented cast while chasing action-adventure excitement that never truly comes together.
Our Take On Night Hunter’s Streaming Success
Despite its sudden streaming success, Night Hunter remains a hollow imitation of the great films that it aspires to emulate, borrowing heavily from the grisly atmosphere of Se7en and the psychological menace of The Silence of the Lambs, but delivering neither their intelligence nor sophistication. The result is a derivative thriller with nothing new to say, merely recycling familiar tropes without much depth or purpose.
However, the biggest disappointment is its wasted ensemble. With so many big names, one might expect sharp character work, yet every role is flattened by clunky dialogue. The so-called twist is painfully telegraphed, and the film’s attempts to grapple with serious themes border on exploitative. Ultimately, Night Hunter proves that even star power can’t rescue mediocrity.
