Night Job - Okay

Starring: Jason Torres
Director: J. Antonio
Runtime: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Independent | Comedy | 2017

Night Job shows us James, during his first shift as a doorman in New York City. It just so happens that his first shift is a night shift and so many random things happen during the night apparently. From con-men to disgruntled couples to exorcists to homeless men. This movie shows all the many types of things that can go on in the lobby of a NYC apartment complex. Me, never having been to NYC (yet), I don’t know how accurate these things would be. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that an exorcist priest probably isn’t one, but maybe drunk girls and couples fighting. I can buy into those things.

The film is shot in black and white, which I don’t understand at all. Every once in awhile a shot of the streets of New York would appear, which made me think of SNL. Also, not really sure why this was added. I guess to remind the viewer that James is working in New York City? Or just to fill in time? Not sure.

Overall, I didn’t really enjoy this film. James as a character wasn’t my favorite. His reactions to everything that happened to him was so plain and the dialogue that he was given didn’t help sell it either. There were some characters that met James that I liked and others I didn’t. Like the man that wanted help with his bags or the man that needed to call the locksmith (Timothy J Cox). Each individual incident was interesting, I just didn’t feel like they were executed perfectly.

I also didn’t really understand the scenes with James in the convenience store. Were those guys just random people he met or were they his friends already? They surely treated him like a friend, but I get the feeling that he didn’t know them very well. And the other man working the night shift. He was disgusting and irresponsible. I liked when James told the person over the phone to tell the manager that Romeo wouldn’t help him with his problem.

Another thing that kind of bothered me about this movie was the music. The piano (I think it was piano) was non-stop and it was literally the same tune throughout the entire film. I didn’t notice any change at all and eventually it started to bug me. I’m going to give this movie an “okay” rating. The concept is good, I just didn’t feel like it was executed well, with the exception of some of the extra characters of the apartment. And I definitely didn’t find it comedic. (2/5)

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