Netflix’s latest release on August 3rd, 2022, Endless Night is a fantasy thriller infused with horror elements. The series has its roots in Belgium and is in French. The cast includes Ayumi Roux (from SKAM France’s fame), Théo Augier, Hannah El Yosufi, China Thybaud, Salif Cissé and Leo Legrand, among other supporting actors. Endless Night is created by David Perrault and Emmanuel Voisin, with the former directing as well. The teen thriller drama spans 6 episodes, each lasting for at least 30 minutes.
-Endless Night Review Does Not Contain Any Spoilers-
Netflix describes the series as:
Dreams start feeling like reality for these teenagers,who are ready to escape their lives, but at what cost?
A dream so good, that you forget to tell its difference from reality. What happens when the real world starts feeling a little too distant and the dreams lure you in, like a predator, giving just enough to make you believe in the validity of it all? This diegesis has been consumed and digested for many years. Endless Night picked up the same theme as storylines before it, including Inception. The movie Flatliners also follows a similar plot, where a group of doctors experience death willingly and face the repercussions of being transported to that world.
What we’ve got with Endless Night is a classic teen drama with the tropes of any regular thriller show. From teenagers being sucked into a larger conspiracy who go out of their way to get into trouble, ideas wrapped in a mystery, medical espionage and a mind-numbing drug ready to distort your sense of reality, the series has it all. But where it lacks is keeping a grip on the audience.
Every day, hundreds of teenage dramas are churned out, each trying to one-up the other but failing miserably. In recent years, no teen show has found that perfect spot between ‘crazy’ and ‘just right’. The series feels predictable from the beginning, a statement that shouldn’t be associated with any form of entertainment, let alone a thriller-horror production.
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The show is nothing you haven’t already seen, the cinematography is as basic as the plot, and the protagonist is duped by real emotional advances in her character development. The jump scares aren’t that scary, and the supporting characters are given enough of a story to advance the plot. It is a lot to expect in a 3-hour long show, but I never truly got invested in any character. Every supporting character was given a subtle story arc about why their dreams were merging into reality. It was because of this reason that every plot twist felt rushed and escaped definitive answers.
The Wind Beneath its Wings (Ironically)
One of the one (lol) aspects I liked about the show was its cast. There are multiple movies that try to bring one marginalised community, be it from the African-American community or the Latino community. Endless Night, on the other hand, had characters ranging from all different communities. Of course, it couldn’t let go of some stereotypes, but something to be applauded.
The Final Word
Endless Night would be a good watch for people who like quick teenage thrillers with a decent amount of adrenaline provided via its horror elements. If you’re not a fan of unrealistic events, like a teen entering a medical facility, robbing drugs, or murders without investigation, this might not be curtailed for you.
The movie wraps with the song Eyes Wide by Jamie Nurton and Philip Jewson, with an almost convincing montage of happy teenagers, but…
Endless Night is streaming now on Netflix.