There are certain films that just seem to slip though the cracks, either because either the studios have no faith in the picture or they do not think the film can be marketed to a mass audience. Such is the case with this piece of noir cinema, which resembles elements of films as varied as THE MALTESE FALCON and HELLRAISER.
NIGHT TRAIN is a modern day film noir. It is a film that puts two strangers on a train with a conductor into an odd situation. What happens when a stranger overdoses on pills on a train and dies, but he possesses something so valuable that someone would consider getting rid of the body and taking off with the riches? That is the way this film begins. The item of value is a box which will show one whatever he or she desires. It is Pandora’s box, although the film does not give it that name. As more passengers on the train become aware of the box and its powers, it takes them over and pits passengers against one another. The moral center of the film is Miles (Danny Glover), the train’s conductor, but even he will have trouble stopping the box from bringing terror to his train as the passengers begin to kill one another.
NIGHT TRAIN as a story is a bit confusing. The viewer really doesn’t know much about the origin of the box except that a man boards a train with it and that there are other people who board the train who know about it but don’t last long enough in the film to let the viewer know whence it came. It is left a mystery throughout most of the film, and that leads to some confusion in the script as well a few plot holes. I cannot say that this in anyway takes away from the story, as it does leave a sense of mystery, however the viewer is left wondering about a few things that never are explained. The plot does move well and the characters are developed perfectly, but we really are left in the dark about the origin of the box, and are, for the most part, put in the same situation as the characters.
The film’s strong point is its star-studded cast. Danny Glover as the train’s conductor, Miles, is the perfect fit for the part, and could not have been any better with his performance. Steven Zahn plays a part that is very different from the comedic roles in which he usually is cast. Zahn plays drunken, failed salesman Peter Dobbs. He plays the part surprisingly well and gives one of his best performances yet. Leelee Sobieski plays medical student Chloe White who at first seems like a simple, sweet and innocent young woman, but by the film’s end is the lead villain in a performance that is unlike any other she has done. The film has a nice mix of seasoned faces and new name, including Takatsuna Mukai, Togo Igawa, Richard O’Brien, Matthias Schweighöfer, Jo Marr and Constantine Gregory.
The production values are decent. The set design of the interior of the train has a timeless look. The exact time period never is disclosed, but apparently the film takes place during the holiday season as there are Christmas decorations. The exterior shots are all CGI and, while in certain scenes the CGI does not look all that bad, during the wide shots, it is obvious that that the train and its surrounding all are CGI. The visual effects look kind of cartoonish and similar to the train effects used in the Christmas film THE POLAR EXPRESS. There are, however, some very good make-up effects and there is a fair share of gore and blood in this film.
The Blu-ray disc has a few special features such as “The Making of Night Train”, which goes deeper into some of the origins of the box and what the filmmakers tried to accomplish with the story. There are also interviews with the cast, director and producers of NIGHT TRAIN as well as a Photo Gallery and the film’s trailer.
NIGHT TRAIN is one of those films that pays tribute to thrillers of the past and plays itself as a modern day film noir. I am not surprised, based on the film’s plot, that this film did not see a theatrical release in the United States and that it is only hitting the home entertainment market. It is a film that I think film students and people with film knowledge will appreciate, but its mass market appeal probably will be limited. I found it to be entertaining and appreciated its tribute to the the great noir classics.
– Horror Bob
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- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
