Directed and co-written by Ryan Prows, the Justin Long and Jermaine Fowler starrer, Night Patrol (2025) has a few things going for it, but the overall experience isn’t satisfactory by any means. My immediate reaction after watching this wasn’t excitement but rather a feeling of watching an overstuffed creation.

It didn’t feel unoriginal one bit, but it felt like the team was trying to accomplish a lot with limited resources. The result: an overcooked film that doesn’t fit into any category neatly, and you end up appreciating the vision and the effort, but not the product.

Night Patrol (2025) Plot Overview: Gang Wars, Vampires, and Abuse of Powers

The film initially follows Wazi Carr (Rj Cyler), whose girlfriend is shot dead by members of LAPD’s Night Patrol, a secretive task force that operates at night. It is later revealed that he is the younger brother of Xavier Carr (Jermaine Fowler), a LAPD officer who has been given the responsibility of policing the “Colonial Courts” projects, where he grew up.

His partner, Ethan Hawkins (Justin Long), is eager to join the Night Patrol task force, much like him, but only Ethan eventually gets promoted to that. However, we later learn that its members are blood-sucking vampires who feast on marginalized black communities and blame their deaths on local gang wars. The rest of the movie follows how and if these people managed to stop these monsters.

Night Patrol (2025) Less Celebrated Wins: Visual Language and Camera Work

When watching the film, there were multiple times I felt it was a low-budget project punching way above its weight class. And when I looked it up, I realized that I was partially right. There isn’t any public data about its official budget, but some sources do mention a number upwards of $370K, which would put it into the budget category.

However, you clearly see the impact of resources being utilized to their full potential. The credit for that impression belongs to the technical departments, including the interesting camera work and distinct visual style. For instance, there are a few scenes that cover the events from the top of a police van and drone-style overhead shots during the climax.

While these stylistic choices aren’t entirely revolutionary, they feel refreshingly different from what I have personally seen of late. The visual language is another genuine win. It uses natural lighting to great effect during daytime scenes, while the night sequences lean into a grim, dark, and grainy aesthetic.

A fair warning for viewers: despite its standard R-rating, there is no shortage of raw blood and violence. The makers even experiment with thermal camera perspectives and negative color stylization during certain sequences. They haven’t shied away from visual gore one bit. So, if that makes you uncomfortable, this isn’t the right pick for you.

Night Patrol (2025) Direction: A Story of a Major Letdown Despite Multiple Wins

The film is exciting in bursts, but it struggles to hold your attention consistently. For instance, the opening sequence makes you wonder, “What’s really going on here?” But when the Night Patrol brutally murders Wazi’s girlfriend, you feel shock at the brutality of the incident and how indifferent the task force is.

At this point, you’re really interested in what the film has to offer, but then it takes a lot of time to get to the next interesting development. The entire film can be divided into halves: the part before and after Hawkins’ transformation. For the first half, your eyes keep searching for Deputy (Phil Brooks a.k.a. CM Punk) to appear on screen, because nothing other than his scenes will keep you invested.

Once Hawkins transforms, then the film finally kicks into gear. Yet, even then, it doesn’t carry the momentum smoothly to the finish line. It is a story of peaks and valleys, where you’ll have to sit through long lulls to get to the high points.

​On top of that, the scene at the climax stumbles visually. When Wazi gears up for the final fight wearing his full ancestral attire, it pulled me right out of the experience. Although I will admit that it didn’t feel uncharacteristic considering the hints they were dropping throughout. Nevertheless, the visual felt incredibly unpleasant. It would have looked a lot better had he simply used the traditional weapon instead.

As for the positives, I liked that there wasn’t a clear-cut protagonist or hero, so to speak. Not many filmmakers could have been brave enough to tell a story without a clear-cut or likeable hero. For that, director Ryan Prows deserves to be applauded.

Night Patrol attempted to blend heavy social commentary on themes of racism, gang wars, and systemic abuse of power through a film about corrupted vampire cops. From that description alone, you could understand the herculean task they had before themselves. But, when it’s all said and done, you end up appreciating the vision and the courage, not the execution.

Night Patrol (2025) Cast Performances: It’s a Justin Long and Phil Brooks Show All-Around

The film rests mostly on the shoulders of Justin Long and does an exceptional job. Up until his transformation, his work is decent, but once the shift happens, he becomes an entirely different beast on screen. He brilliantly showcases the bloodlust and the desperation of his character alongside seamlessly capturing the internal conflict of man versus monster. His performance here reinforces why he remains one of the premier names in modern horror cinema.

As for Phil “CM Punk” Brooks, he has knocked this one out of the park. He plays a bloodthirsty racist cop, which is a complete 180 from his real-life persona. In the film, he is portrayed as a ruthless, foul-mouthed LAPD officer who feels he is superior to everyone else and wants to do things his way. As someone who has grown up watching him, I believe he was tailor-made for this role. One of his standout moments comes when he harasses residents of Colonial Courts with a smile on his face. Although this was a splendid performance, I will say that this was right in his wheelhouse. For the future, I would love to see him in roles that take him totally out of his comfort zone.

Meanwhile, Dermot Mulroney as “Sarge” makes a noticeable impact despite limited screen time. The rest of the supporting cast does a fine job, but none command your attention quite like these three do. Unfortunately, while the performances are immersive, they aren’t enough to rescue a film that delivers more lows than highs.

Final Verdict: Is Night Patrol (2025) Worth Watching?

Usually, I approach this question by breaking down which audience would love the film and who should skip it. But this time I will say it plain and simple: it isn’t worth your time, in my honest opinion. I can’t even say that hardcore fans of CM Punk or Justin Long will have a great time, because I fall in the first category myself and yet I had a hard time getting through it.

That isn’t to say there’s nothing good here. The performances deliver, the technical departments punch way above their weight, and the director’s bold vision deserves respect. I just wish I could say the same for the overall execution.