While “Lady Bird” connected with large swaths of audiences, on its way to a mountain of awards recognition, the truth is that the film will never be mistaken for a “diverse” film. However, with “Night Comes On,” actress-turned-filmmaker Jordana Spiro has created a film that provides what many projects in the coming-of-age genre don’t provide — an authentic portrait of a young, queer black woman desperate to find meaning. As a white woman, Spiro wouldn’t normally be someone’s first choice to tell this story, however, with a sensitive heart and eye, the filmmaker does the proper thing by penning the script of her debut film alongside Angelica Nwandu—a black woman who can speak to such experiences. The result is a poignant piece about what many black women are forced to endure daily.
An official selection for the 2018 Sundance Film Festival NEXT program, “Night Comes On” casts an immersive spotlight on a demographic that is often whitewashed and or skewed through the male gaze within Hollywood’s modern model of storytelling. The subject in this regard is Angel LaMere (Dominique Fishback), a young woman on the verge of turning 18, seeking to get her life back on track—well, sort of.
Pained with loss, revenge, and an unfulfilled relationship with her 10-year-old sister Abbi (Tatum Hall), Angel has just been released from juvenile detention in Philadelphia. Engulfed by a past she’d much rather forget, Angel sidesteps plans to rehabilitate her life in favor of a murky, yet unbending, path toward revenge the death of her mother committed by her father years prior. While on her impassioned journey, Angel’s road of retribution takes a modest detour, as Abbi, who is incredibly wise for her age, seeks a sisterly bond with as much tenacity as Angel’s vengeance-filled path. Even without Abbi coming into the fold, it’s clear Angel’s plan to murder her father would have failed given her impoverished conditions and lack of rationale. Although the plot unfolds predictably, “Night Comes On” is that much more admirable because its prescribed revenge-filled persona is eschewed for an atmosphere brimming with self-discovery and sisterhood.
As this story switches gears, the anticipated ending becomes less about whether or not Angel enacts vengeance on her father and more about whether Abbi’s precocious optimism can seep into Angel’s realm of pessimism—which establishes the platform for these young actresses to shine.
As a distressed and rugged 17-year-old forced to grow up far too early, Fishback’s performance is as emotionally liberated as they come. While her face is often stoic and unflinching, her eyes tell a different story as they are not only sheathed with unyielding rage but a yearnful glimmer. Even when considering her callousness and inability to trust anyone, especially her own little sister, it’s hard to condemn Angel’s stewing anger. Whether it be animosity aimed at her father or a society that has failed her, Fishback’s pained portrayal is extremely important because it righteously burns with fire yet is tinged with desire.
As Fishback captures the essence of crumbling in the margins, Tatum’s Abbi represents the perfect foil to her pained sister. Despite the looming complications of breaking into your teenage years, Abbi is the film’s modicum of hope. As a 10-year-old ought to be, Abbi is pure and virtuous in her actions and sees the good in humanity, especially her sister. Through her eyes, Angel is the greatest role model—she beholds her older sister as resilient and brave for bearing the brunt of family trauma and the dirty hand dealt by a society that perpetually oppresses women of color. Above all, Tatum’s performance as Abbi is fierce. Even though her role indicates an age and phase considered most vulnerable for many young girls, Tatum with unbridled self-awareness establishes her character with expedited maturity, intelligence and a sense of grit needed to corral her older sister.
Aside from its phenomenal script and performances, “Night Comes On” delights with stunning visuals. With the help of cinematographer Hatuey Viveros Lavielle’s kaleidoscopic camera work, Spiro and Nwandu manage to absorbingly aestheticize the emotional vulnerabilities of marginalized voices. Beneath the abundant hues of pastel pinks, oranges, and purples of a gentrified neighborhoods at dusk, there is a paradoxically gritty reality of suffering and systematic oppression suggested.
The surreal aesthetic of “Night Comes On” lends a hand in making the traumatic eerily magical, but it never dampens the pain revealed. For a debut full-length feature, it’s incredible what this ensemble of women have accomplished. Through the fearlessness and honesty “Night Comes On” spells in regards to the trials and tribulations synonymous with one’s color of skin and gender— this feature is a rarity within the coming of age sphere. Even though the voices depicted remain largely hushed, Spiro’s project signifies hope even when the reality of life as a minority in America remains bleak. [A-]