Night Patrol review: Gangs unite to fight a vampiric police unit in Los Angeles

Night Patrol, directed by Ryan Prows, is a horror-mystery set in modern-day Los Angeles in which rival gangs must join forces when a nocturnal, bloodsucking unit of the police invades their housing project. Nicki Micheaux plays a Crip matriarch and mystic at the film’s center.

The story follows two brothers: Xavier, a cop played by Jermaine Fowler and viewed as a traitor, and Wazi (RJ Cyler), who is secretly dating a Blood’s sister. Early in the film the night patrol murders that sister; it is Ethan (Justin Long), Xavier’s partner and best friend, who pulls the trigger out of obligation to his father (Dermot Mulroney), the leader of the night patrol. The gangs combine big guns and a bit of Zulu magic to survive, while CM Punk, Freddie Gibbs and Flying Lotus round out the cast. The reviewer likens the film to a broke, B‑movie version of "Sinners," and notes buckets of gore and a reanimated Justin Long give the final act camp zing.

The review criticizes the film’s lumbersome conspiracy-building in the first half, flashy visuals and uneven performances, saying those elements make the movie a bleary experience and that the showdown against the L.A.P.D. arrives too little, too late. Night Patrol is rated R for body horror, racial violence and community destruction, runs 1 hour 44 minutes and is in theaters.

Key Topics

Culture, Night Patrol, Los Angeles, Ryan Prows, Nicki Micheaux, Jermaine Fowler