One of those concepts that are alarming in nature, one would fully expect the phrase “going wrong” would follow—which is already the case in “Take the Night,” writer, director, and producer-star Seth McTig is the first feature of writer, director, and producer-star Seth McTig. This powerful little film does a good job balancing character drama with elements of suspense, as its fluid prowess blunts the rookie status in multiple creative roles. Saban Films will open the film on seven US screens on July 8, although it is likely to find its audience by releasing it on digital and on-demand platforms on July 12.
Introduction introduces Robert Chang (Sammy Lee), a hard-thinking young man who is the new CEO of the multinational Chang Import after his father’s death. This promotion is a notable sore point for Big Brother William (Rui Huang), who is clearly overtaken – and one can see why, as he is rude and irresponsible, as well as resentful. And so we immediately suspect this sibling rivalry is at play when Robert is nearly kidnapped by masked men as he walks to his car in the parking garage after work one night.
Then the movie returns a few days later to explain how things got to this point. In fact, William hired men to act as thugs for a mock kidnapping that he somehow thought would be a funny way to start the surprise party on Robert’s 25th birthday. But these guys intend to take their roles more seriously than he planned, because they realize that they are dealing with a rich target with a crypto fortune, and some of them are in dire need of funds.
The dynamic of the Chang’s family squabble is mirrored in that between Chad (McTeak), a PTSD veteran, and his impulsive, dangerously immature brother, Todd (Brennan Kill-Cook). Both sets of siblings are haunted by the shadow of a recently deceased bossy father who has exacerbated their differences by treating them unequally.
This second low-key duo, who still lives together in the family home (as does Al Chang in their mansion), accepts the low-key “prank” party alongside two old neighborhood friends, Silent Justin (Antonio Aaron) and a ball. Professional Basketball. Shannon Possibility (Love Shumri). The four men’s engagement is orchestrated by Chang’s secretary Melissa (Grace Serrano), who has her own reasons for turning a practical joke into a high-stakes heist, although we haven’t quite told them for a while.
That background arose, about half an hour later we return to the moment Robert was unceremoniously stuffed into the trunk of a car by strangers. But what follows doesn’t go according to plan – anyone’s plan, as we soon realize there are many conflicting plans here.
McTigue’s text is quirky and textured enough to maintain interest, despite the fact that there is relatively little violent action one would expect at first. Instead, his focus is on gradually revealing the intricacies of need between the various heroes in a story that finally makes another leap to reveal some long-term consequences (and some remaining narrative surprises).
If Take the Night doesn’t have the depth and scope to pull off the deeper emotional resonance it aims for, it nonetheless has an impressively more ambitious substantive agenda than most of these crimes. It’s dramatic enough to force essentially this level, while raising the volume to the occasion.
The tension and excitement are less relevant, though there’s a decent vibe and sometimes a vague haze provided by the DP Rainer Lipski’s wide lens and Julian Brown production design. They move adequately into a story set in New York City that’s actually filmed in Los Angeles, while editor Todd McTegue’s pace is airtight. Jonas Wikstrand’s original score does a great job of supporting the story’s tone-on-tone blend of criminal intrigue, mystery, discordant relationships, and hidden emotional loyalties.
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