While many would argue that nothing good ever happens after the sun goes down, let’s consider a different take: Nighttime is the best time. The world is quiet, you have some time to yourself, and there are endless possibilities hidden around every corner — you know, in a not-sinister kind of way! Or in a sinister way, depending on how you roll. Nobody is judging when it’s this late at night.
The characters (and creatures) in the movies and shows below embrace the evening and make it their own. Whether you’re looking for a drama or thriller that leans into the darkness, a comedy that gets its gags in the dead of night, or a documentary about the world’s many nocturnal beasts, there’s something for you streaming on Netflix.
Moody and packed with scenes in smoky, sumptuous clubs, this thriller centers on two siblings in New York City’s high-pressure nightlife scene. Vince (Jason Bateman) is a debt-ridden gambler and Jake (Jude Law) is an up-and-coming restaurateur. Just as one brother is about to launch his new hotspot, the other opens the door to old traumas and new dangers that threaten to bring down everything they’ve built. Black Rabbit is a propulsive thrill ride and character examination about the way an unbreakable bond between two brothers can shatter their world and everything in its orbit.
In director Antoine Fuqua’s claustrophobic thriller, Jake Gyllenhaal (Jarhead) plays Joe Baylor, an LAPD officer working the night shift as a 911 operator. He takes a distress call from a woman (Riley Keough) who claims she’s been abducted by a man who will soon kill her. As the police work to track the woman down, Joe uncovers more details about her life — and grows more unsettled the longer the night goes on. The film, which is a remake of the Danish thriller of the same name, also features voice work from Ethan Hawke (The Black Phone), Peter Sarsgaard (Wormwood), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Rustin), and Paul Dano (Okja).
In this psychological thriller, Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) plays Lynette, a woman who’s been diligently saving up to buy the home she rents in Portland, Oregon, only to find that the $25,000 she’s amassed has been spent by her mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh). The film traces Lynette’s moves over the course of one evening as she desperately tries to secure the funds and save her family from eviction before the clock runs out. The adaptation of Willy Vlautin’s novel also features Stephan James (Selma), Randall Park (Always Be My Maybe), and Julia Fox (Him).
While you animal lovers are snuggled up in your homes, let narrator Samira Wiley’s dulcet tones guide you on a journey most humans never get to see. This gripping limited docuseries uses high-tech cameras to capture some of the crispest, clearest footage of nocturnal animals in recorded history. For the first time, people get to see what animals truly do at night. From tree frogs leaping between leaves on muggy jungle nights to bear cubs snuggling in pitch-black subzero temperatures, Night on Earth is an adventure you can’t miss.
