Now streaming on the horror/thriller movie platform, Shudder, is the sequel to the 1994 film Nightwatch called Nightwatch: Demons are Forever.
Nightwatch: Demons are Forever stars Fanny Leander Bornedal, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kim Bodnia, Sonja Richter, Ulf Pilgaard, Casper Kjær Jensen, Paprika Steen, Nina Rask, Alex Høgh Andersen, Sonny Lindberg, Niels Anders Thorn, Tina Gylling, Casper Phillipson, Vibeke Hastrup, Christopher Læssø.
As you might have guessed from the beautiful and unique actor’s names, this film is not in English. It’s a Danish film, so the actors speak in Danish, however it does have English subtitles. I realize that some people shy away from watching movies with subtitles. My husband is not a fan of such movies. I wasn’t either until I got into K-Drama and K-Horror movies. Now watching films with subtitles is easy for me and honestly doesn’t bother me, although I do prefer films in English or dubbed in English.
I have never heard of the film Nightwatch before, which means I never saw it. I was concerned I might not understand what was going on with this sequel without seeing the original, but that wasn’t the case at all. Sure, knowing more details in the backstory of the major players is nice, but it’s not necessary. This film touches upon things that happened in the first film. You can easily watch and enjoy this film without seeing the original. If you would like to see the original film it’s also available on Shudder.
Here is the official movie synopsis for Nightwatch: Demons are Forever.
22-year-old medical student Emma (Fanny Leander Bornedal) has just taken a job as the night watch in the same forensic department where her parents were once almost killed by the famed psychopathic police inspector Wörmer. The events led to her mother’s suicide, and her father Martin (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) has turned to tranquilizers to suppress the memories. Determined to investigate what exactly happened to them, Emma tracks down and confronts Wörmer, only to unintentionally reawaken his bloodthirst and ignite a violent revenge on everyone who sealed his destiny years ago.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this film. As I mentioned earlier that I might not know what was going on without seeing the original. This film is a stand alone film, so not seeing the original didn’t have a baring on how I felt about this film.
This is a horror movie. As a diehard horror movie snob, it takes a lot to impress me. Sadly most horror movies these days are all about the gore, nudity and sexual situations. They aren’t actually scary. This film actually IS a horror movie, which was refreshing to see. I personally wasn’t scared, but I can see it making those who are easily scared close their eyes and hide under the covers. It’s definitely a creepy film.
There is gore in this film. Mostly a lot of blood. There were a few times I said “ewww” to myself because what I saw in the film even grossed me out (again, it takes a lot to do that to me). Case in point there was a scene where someone was cutting into their forehead in order to have blood to smear over their face to make it look like they were in costume.
The acting in this film was really good. I think Fanny Leander Bornedal did an exceptional job as Emma. She was very convincing in the role. Even during scary parts she acted in a realistic way – she didn’t over act, if that makes any sense. I’m having a hard time describing what I mean.
Casper Kjaer Jensen, who plays the role of Bent, a disturbing psychiatric patient, was excellent in his role. He is CREEPY!
There were scenes and situations I personally could have done without (such as Emma’s boyfriend sucking the doctor’s gloved finger), but I suppose it all had to do with character development.
The cinematography played a big role in this film. A lot of the film takes place at the morgue, so it’s dark and alarming. After all… you don’t expect a morgue to be bright and cheery. The creep factor of the morgue adds to the storyline.
Overall I enjoyed the film. Now that I’ve seen it I am going to watch the original film just to add to what I know about the plot of this film.
You can find Nightwatch: Demons are Forever on Shudder. To learn more about Shudder, visit Shudder.com. It’s a streaming service. You can get a 7-Day free trial too.
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Below is the film’s trailer for your enjoyment.
Kimberly
*I received a free screening link in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
