NIGHTWATCH (1994)
A fresh-faced Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays 24-year-old law student Martin, taking a position as the sole night watchman in a hospital morgue. When a game of dare from his deviant best mate collides with a serial killer on the loose, Martin’s worst fears begin to haunt him. Writer-director Ole Bornedal helms this disturbing tale of mistaken identity and murderous mayhem. 
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is, to no one’s surprise, spectacular. My introduction to his work began with Game of Thrones. Even thirty years ago, he possessed a magnetic presence on screen.
The soundtrack kicks ass. Great opening cinematography throws the viewer into a Hitchcockian vibe as the camera floats throughout the house like a ghost. Dan Laustsen‘s framing is a masterclass. I accept genre fans knocking my street cred for never seeing this film. I deserve it. Now that I have, I understand why it holds up. 
NIGHTWATCH taps into classic fears and creates authentic dread from beginning to end. A premise stemming from toxic masculinity gets a perfect foil in its horror element. Bornedal’s dialogue is particularly meta, no doubt inducing a smirk from the audience more than once. 
The film is a genre-bender. When you think you know what’s happening, the plot twists again. Bornedal’s sequel, 30 years in the making, has a lot to live up to. The Shudder Original NIGHTWATCH: Demons are Forever streams today alongside its predecessor.
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