"The Night Of" is a successful social thriller that deals with the prejudices against Arab and Muslim people. The series shows how helplessly the protagonist "Naz" is at the mercy of his fate and how strongly the decisions of lawyers, judges and the police affect his life.
You shouldn't expect any action. The story is told slowly and calmly and you quickly feel the powerlessness that the naive Naz feels. Riz Ahmed is brilliant as Naz, from the first scene to the last. A nice young man from next door, with big doe eyes, a slight build and from a good home. Riz Ahmed believably embodies every aspect of his character and the change he undergoes over time is impressively realized and harrowing. You wouldn't recognize him from the beginning to the end.
You empathize with him the whole time and wonder feverishly what happened on the decisive night. This tension lasts until the very end.
What seems to be quite clear turns out to be different than expected. Nothing is as it seems.
The only certainty is that people also make mistakes and are sometimes no longer aware of the consequences of their decisions. "The Night Of" quickly makes it clear that justice sometimes plays no role in the judicial system. Not many people are interested in the truth, prejudices are made too quickly. The viewer becomes part of the jury and is forced to reflect on their own prejudices. An Arab, a Muslim, that must be the murderer. In many people's minds, the evidence is already complete with one glance at the color of the skin.
John Turturro's performance is also great as a good-natured defense lawyer who always handles his cases according to the rules. He struggles with himself, his case and his eczema/psoriasis in such an excellent way that he has earned our sympathy. We often had to laugh and this humor did the series good and provided a good balance.
Richard Price as screenwriter and director Steven Zaillian have found a good pace. They have succeeded in telling a story that is not new in a captivating, touching and entertaining way. Whether Naz's behavior is "illogical" at one point or another doesn't matter to me, because the series is about a prejudiced system, how it can suddenly suck you in, make you a helpless pawn until it spits you out again.
The camera work was great and was convincing with well thought-out and successful images. The whole interplay, including editing and music, creates a gripping atmosphere. A drama that is touching because it feels so real, but doesn't become too heavy and keeps the tension until the end.
----- Conclusion:
Excellent - great actors, a story that is not new but is told in an outstanding way. It is not without reason that there were many awards for acting, editing and cinematography. Including five Emmy Awards.
You shouldn't expect any action. The story is told slowly and calmly and you quickly feel the powerlessness that the naive Naz feels. Riz Ahmed is brilliant as Naz, from the first scene to the last. A nice young man from next door, with big doe eyes, a slight build and from a good home. Riz Ahmed believably embodies every aspect of his character and the change he undergoes over time is impressively realized and harrowing. You wouldn't recognize him from the beginning to the end.
You empathize with him the whole time and wonder feverishly what happened on the decisive night. This tension lasts until the very end.
What seems to be quite clear turns out to be different than expected. Nothing is as it seems.
The only certainty is that people also make mistakes and are sometimes no longer aware of the consequences of their decisions. "The Night Of" quickly makes it clear that justice sometimes plays no role in the judicial system. Not many people are interested in the truth, prejudices are made too quickly. The viewer becomes part of the jury and is forced to reflect on their own prejudices. An Arab, a Muslim, that must be the murderer. In many people's minds, the evidence is already complete with one glance at the color of the skin.
John Turturro's performance is also great as a good-natured defense lawyer who always handles his cases according to the rules. He struggles with himself, his case and his eczema/psoriasis in such an excellent way that he has earned our sympathy. We often had to laugh and this humor did the series good and provided a good balance.
Richard Price as screenwriter and director Steven Zaillian have found a good pace. They have succeeded in telling a story that is not new in a captivating, touching and entertaining way. Whether Naz's behavior is "illogical" at one point or another doesn't matter to me, because the series is about a prejudiced system, how it can suddenly suck you in, make you a helpless pawn until it spits you out again.
The camera work was great and was convincing with well thought-out and successful images. The whole interplay, including editing and music, creates a gripping atmosphere. A drama that is touching because it feels so real, but doesn't become too heavy and keeps the tension until the end.
----- Conclusion:
Excellent - great actors, a story that is not new but is told in an outstanding way. It is not without reason that there were many awards for acting, editing and cinematography. Including five Emmy Awards.