Judgment NightTaking a wrong turn down an unfriendly street in the city after dark can be the difference between life and death. Judgment Night is a suspenseful thriller about four young men--level headed family man, Francis "Frank" Wyatt (Emilio Estevez), his hot-headed younger brother, John (Stephen Dorff), equal parts smooth operator and macho guy, Mike (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), and cowardly, yet slick businessman, Ray (Jeremy Piven). While headed into the city (frequently hinted to be Chicago) to see a boxing match, the party tries to take a shortcut through the abandoned slums, only to end up witnessing the execution of a thief by the ruthless gang boss, Fallon (Denis Leary), forcing them to run for their lives to escape a similar fate.
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Judgment Night is a movie that is about friendships being tested under extreme circumstances, like trying to survive while being hunted in the otherworldly realm of a cold, unfeeling city at night--one populated by crooks, homeless opportunists, or people too scared to put themselves at risk to help someone like these strangers. As tense as the cat-and-mouse game is between Fallon and the four suburbanites unfortunate enough to cross his path, there is also the sense that the city itself is openly hostile or ambivalent to them. At the beginning of Judgment Night, Frank is at his home with his wife, coyly squabbling about his desire to get out of the house since the three months when their daughter was born. The pleasant suburban atmosphere is jovial; it passes by in slow motion, as though it were a soothing dream, where problems like drugs and guns don't belong. That changes right from the time Ray and his borrowed RV traverse the expressway, inundated with traffic headed into the city, leading to an altercation on the highway in a moment of road rage. It is intimated that the closer people get to the city, the less "human" they become, and are more prone to the wild antics that come with a jungle mentality, even if it is a concrete jungle. When they find themselves stranded out in the bleak no man's land of the city, they are fully in the dominion of Fallon, the sneering, cutthroat king of this underworld. Judgment Night features some clever casting, with each actor bringing something unique to their characters. This is especially true for Denis Leary, the cynical, hard-edged stand-up comic, whose sardonic wit, swift verbal lashings, and upbraiding of the strangers in his kingdom make him out to be like a force of nature, the devil of the urban shadows. The guys are already deep in Fallon's realm when most of them opt to help someone they believe was struck by the RV (Ray is too craven to endorse the idea). But this act of kindness and mercy is essentially thrown back in their faces when they witness Fallon and his crew intercepting the thief and shooting him dead--Fallon is enforcing his "first rule" in order to deter his men from stealing from him. Unfortunately for these fellows from the North Shore suburb, that means that Fallon also has to administer his "second rule": no witnesses.
The gauntlet which Frank and his friends must endure is a literal battle for survival, and it forces all of them to recognize parts of themselves they didn't want to acknowledge before. Frank ends up being the anchor of the group, stabilizing the guys who his wife joked were barely grown up, their inability to cope with the crisis supporting her claim. John acts tough from the start, and looks the part of an edgy street tough; but he discovers that while it's one thing to pick a fight with a guy on the freeway, it's another when you're actually staring down the barrel of a gun, forcing him to accept his fear. Although only hinted at in Judgment Night, Frank and John do not appear to have a father figure in their lives anymore, and Frank may be subconsciously trying to fill that role, much to the resentment of John. But when they find themselves in dire straits, John is forced to humbly admit that he needs his brother's support. Mike seems like he has his act together--he comes across as confident with the ladies, and drives a cool car. He is even able to diffuse the preceding confrontation on the freeway, albeit through browbeating the other guy. Mike's adrenaline seems to be constantly spiked in their flight from Fallon, and when the rare moment to catch their breath arises, he often demands that the guys stand and fight rather than flee. His blood is running too hot, and Frank finds he has to desperately try to cool his friend down before he causes more problems than he seeks to solve. Ray is the least composed of the group, and starts to unravel even before they take their ill-fated detour, after which he becomes a scattered mess, deluding himself that his business savvy will be enough to hold off the murderers hunting them in the dark. Ray resists reason at every turn, and is rattled after losing control of the situation, making him a prime example of how not to behave in a crisis. Judgment Night is a movie of its time; made in 1993, the film is replete with a soundtrack plush with a mix of rap and heavy metal, with bands like Cypress Hill and Helmet, accompanying the tense musical score by Alan Silvestri--rapper Everlast also plays one of Fallon's thugs. The dogged pursuit through the ghostly, empty streets at night recalls a similar race to survive in an urban jungle found in Walter Hill's The Warriors. The tension and sense that things could go sideways for Frank and his crew at any moment is what makes Judgment Night thrilling, and puts the spotlight on the fear that sheltered people have of the brutal dangers of a neglected urban wasteland.
Recommended for: Fans of a gripping and suspenseful action film that draws a distinction between the comforts of suburban life and the perception of crime run amok in the city. Judgment Night is an underrated thriller that features excellent casting and a compelling--if nightmarish--setting.
The gauntlet which Frank and his friends must endure is a literal battle for survival, and it forces all of them to recognize parts of themselves they didn't want to acknowledge before. Frank ends up being the anchor of the group, stabilizing the guys who his wife joked were barely grown up, their inability to cope with the crisis supporting her claim. John acts tough from the start, and looks the part of an edgy street tough; but he discovers that while it's one thing to pick a fight with a guy on the freeway, it's another when you're actually staring down the barrel of a gun, forcing him to accept his fear. Although only hinted at in Judgment Night, Frank and John do not appear to have a father figure in their lives anymore, and Frank may be subconsciously trying to fill that role, much to the resentment of John. But when they find themselves in dire straits, John is forced to humbly admit that he needs his brother's support. Mike seems like he has his act together--he comes across as confident with the ladies, and drives a cool car. He is even able to diffuse the preceding confrontation on the freeway, albeit through browbeating the other guy. Mike's adrenaline seems to be constantly spiked in their flight from Fallon, and when the rare moment to catch their breath arises, he often demands that the guys stand and fight rather than flee. His blood is running too hot, and Frank finds he has to desperately try to cool his friend down before he causes more problems than he seeks to solve. Ray is the least composed of the group, and starts to unravel even before they take their ill-fated detour, after which he becomes a scattered mess, deluding himself that his business savvy will be enough to hold off the murderers hunting them in the dark. Ray resists reason at every turn, and is rattled after losing control of the situation, making him a prime example of how not to behave in a crisis. Judgment Night is a movie of its time; made in 1993, the film is replete with a soundtrack plush with a mix of rap and heavy metal, with bands like Cypress Hill and Helmet, accompanying the tense musical score by Alan Silvestri--rapper Everlast also plays one of Fallon's thugs. The dogged pursuit through the ghostly, empty streets at night recalls a similar race to survive in an urban jungle found in Walter Hill's The Warriors. The tension and sense that things could go sideways for Frank and his crew at any moment is what makes Judgment Night thrilling, and puts the spotlight on the fear that sheltered people have of the brutal dangers of a neglected urban wasteland.
Recommended for: Fans of a gripping and suspenseful action film that draws a distinction between the comforts of suburban life and the perception of crime run amok in the city. Judgment Night is an underrated thriller that features excellent casting and a compelling--if nightmarish--setting.