Take the Night centers on two brothers, Robert Chang (Sam Song Li) and William Chang (Roy Huang). Robert was named CEO of the family’s import company by their late father, which causes a rift between Robert and William. William, being the older of the two siblings, believes that he should have been picked over his younger brother. Resentment simmers, and William takes the questionable step of hiring a group of men to stage a fake kidnapping of Robert for his birthday. Things almost immediately go wrong, as the group of men hired to do the kidnapping recognize the opportunity in front of them with a wealthy CEO as their target. 

The foundational idea of Take the Night, at first glance, looks like an interesting premise for a thriller. Where it gets bogged down, however, is in the details and motivations of a character deciding to stage a fake kidnapping. Despite the sibling rivalry that is the result of their father passing one brother over for the other, it’s difficult to get past the speed bump of William thinking it would be a good idea to set this plan in motion. Both he and his brother are obviously very well known, which in turn means their wealth is well known. The risk, in this case, seems to outweigh any kind of reward or surprise. Watching the plot unfold, it becomes pretty clear why William’s father passed him over as CEO of the company. 

One aspect of the movie that is arguably the most interesting, and least explored, is the relationships between fathers and sons. Not only does the father figure loom large over Robert and William, but two of the kidnappers as well: Chad (writer/director Seth McTigue) and his brother Todd (Brennan Keel Cook). Their dynamic mirrors William and Robert’s, with Todd being the irresponsible wild card and Chad being the level-headed, forward-thinking one. Their late father favored Chad over Todd because Chad served in the armed forces like his dad. It’s a thin line that separates the two sets of brothers, and exploring these dynamics in a more meaningful, in-depth way could have added a layer of emotion and insight that the story otherwise lacks. When two of the brothers from opposite sides finally do come face to face, the moment falls flat and lacks any sort of catharsis or insight. It’s a disappointing conclusion to a very interesting build-up. 

There is a large amount of setup for what amounts to very payoff. What should be an exciting midpoint, with a lot of tension and excitement, is instead another flat moment. We aren’t really invested in any of the characters in any meaningful way, so when the kidnapping and ensuing chaos does happen, we have no real connection to the action on the screen. Again, what probably could have remedied this was further exploring this brother/father dynamic that is set up so well. It potentially could have added much-needed depth to the characters. It could have made Chad and Todd more sympathetic, while it could have given William a shade of tragedy. 

While the action sequences are well-staged and Take the Night itself was well shot, it can’t overcome the character and narrative shortcomings. It becomes another run-of-the-mill thriller with some predictable twists and turns, ones that most eagle-eyed viewers will see coming. 

3 out of 10