Release: Fading Nights

 

Fading Nights

Genre: Crime/Drama

Director: Ryan Coogler

Writer: Jimmy Ellis

Cast: Donald Glover, Idris Elba, Daveed Diggs, Hannah John-Kamen, Joe Cole, Rupert Friend, Willem Dafoe

Budget: $40,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $22,309,555

Foreign Box Office: $12,093,295

Total Profit: -$33,919,049

Reaction: Outside of Red Lantern Corps, this has not been a very forgiving season at the box office for Jimmy Ellis. This was his last film of Season 32, but hopefully he'll have better luck at the box office with his three films in Season 33.

"Fading Nights is a sleek, emotionally charged crime drama that leans into moody visuals and genre tropes with confidence, but it’s also proof that Donald Glover, despite his immense creative talents, lacks the gravitas to be a leading man. His performance feels too internalized, too subdued, rarely rising to meet the emotional stakes of the script. Idris Elba and Willem Dafoe, by contrast, steal every scene they’re in. While Ryan Coogler’s direction is stylish and the soundtrack pulses with atmosphere, the film’s impact is dulled by a lead who just can’t carry it." - Jeremy Raren, RottenTomatoes.com

"Donald Glover delivers a stellar performance mostly due to the amazing artistic direction. Ryan Coogler may have made his most personal film yet. Too bad though, the film doesn't avoid any "been-theres-done-thats" and is limited by if not stunted character development to make it stand out a little bit more." - Jonah Wells, Indiewire

"Fading Nights attempts to craft a gritty, character-driven crime drama, but struggles with overused tropes and thin character development, leaving it feeling like a missed opportunity. The story follows Malcolm King, an ex-con trying to stay out of trouble, only to be pulled back into the dangerous schemes of his family, leading to an inevitable tragic end. Despite a promising cast and Ryan Coogler's direction, the characters lack the depth needed to make their struggles compelling, and the plot relies on predictable twists rather than fresh storytelling. While the film has intense moments, they’re undermined by the lack of emotional nuance, leaving Fading Nights as a formulaic, if stylish, crime story." - Ted Milo, Montasefilm

Rated R for language, strong violence, drug use, and sexual content.