Night Catches Us (2010)
77%RT Audience Score: 66%
Awards & Nominations: 7 wins & 19 nominations
A bold, original debut, Night Catches Us personalizes a tumultuous period in American history thanks to strong performances from Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington
Night Catches Us is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. Some critics loved it, some hated it, and some were just meh about it. But one thing is for sure, Tanya Hamilton’s debut film is a unique and personal work of art that captures the essence of the post-Black Power movement era. With artistic cinematography and indelible moments, Night Catches Us is a must-watch for anyone interested in American history and the scars it leaves behind. Just don’t expect a political movie or a revealing glimpse into the Panthers, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Production Company(ies)
Lilies Films, Arte France Cinéma Hold Up Films,
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language, some sexuality and violence
Year of Release
2010
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 30m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 3, 2010 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 1, 2011
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Night Catches Us, Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Jamie Hector, Wendell Pierce, Tanya Hamilton, Ron Simons, Sean Costello, Jason Orans, Drama, R, English, Magnolia Pictures, $75.8K, reviewed by Michael Sragow, Candice Frederick, Dwight Brown, Nicolas Rapold, Nell Minow, Lisa Schwarzbaum, David Harris, Sean Burns, Sarah Boslaugh, Dave White, Gabe Leibowitz, Matthew Sorrento, directed by Tanya Hamilton, written by Tanya Hamilton, produced by Ron Simons, Sean Costello, Jason Orans, personalizes a tumultuous period in American history, Black Panther, funeral, radical friends, DoRight Miller, snitch, Patricia, widow, slain leader, language, violence, some sexuality
Worldwide gross: $76,185
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $103,565
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,022
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 11,294
US/Canada gross: $76,185
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $103,565
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,659
US/Canada opening weekend: $13,562
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $18,436
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,540
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Kerry Washington – Patricia
Jamie Hector – “DoRight” Miller
Wendell Pierce – David Gordon
Jamara Griffin – Iris
Amari Cheatom – Jimmy
Ron Simons – Producer
Sean Costello – Producer
Jason Orans – Producer
Tanya Hamilton – Director, Writer
Director(s)
Tanya Hamilton
Writer(s)
Tanya Hamilton
Producer(s)
Ron Simons, Sean Costello, Jason Orans
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
7 wins & 19 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (57) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (46) | Rotten (11)
The result is a personal work of art rather than a docudrama, and it was a stirring début for Hamilton …
October 9, 2017
Michael Sragow
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
Night Catches Us shouldn’t be confused for something as blanket as “that black panther movie” or even a political movie, but more like a story about what it really takes to move on when you’re so stuck on here.
September 9, 2017 | Rating: A
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
For those people who are looking for a revealing glimpse into that social/political/cultural movement, this poorly conceived ode to the Panthers is not illuminating.
November 8, 2016 | Rating: 2/4
Dwight Brown
National Newspaper Publishers Association
TOP CRITIC
Despite some on-the-nose dialogue and a needless revelatory flourish toward the end, Hamilton gets at the strangeness of lived American history, in which violent ruptures leave behind poorly understood scars.
July 1, 2013
Nicolas Rapold
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
February 14, 2012 | Rating: B+
Nell Minow
Movie Mom
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: B+
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Although Night Catches Us feels scattershot, Hamilton peppers the movie with some indelible moments.
October 29, 2019 | Rating: 2.9/5
David Harris
Spectrum Culture
The script undercuts the measured performances with blunt, melodramatic proclamations.
May 3, 2015
Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly
…Night Catches Us has a lived-in, almost languid feel, with artistic cinematography by David Tumblety capturing moments that are as perfectly framed as still photographs.
October 18, 2012 | Rating: 7/10
Sarah Boslaugh
PopMatters
April 4, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Dave White
Movies.com
Tanya Hamilton’s Night Catches Us, a snapshot of the post-Black Power movement era, suffers most from its structural deficiencies.
January 7, 2011 | Rating: 54/100
Gabe Leibowitz
Film and Felt
Writer-director Tanya Hamilton has crafted an intriguing narrative even if she struggles to realize it onscreen.
January 7, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Matthew Sorrento
Film Threat…
Plot
In 1976, complex political and emotional forces are set in motion when a young man returns to the race-torn Philadelphia neighborhood where he came of age during the Black Power movement.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Night Catches Us on Fresh Kernels.
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