The Night Of: Season 1

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 40 Critics

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 515 Ratings

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8.8

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8.8	Your Score
8.8	User Score Universal acclaim based on 515 Ratings

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Season Details & Credits

HBO | Season Premiere Date: July 10, 2016

Summary: The limited series created by Steven Zaillian and Richard Price (loosely based on BBC series Criminal Justice) examines the New York City criminal system through attorney Jack Stone (John Turturro) and his client Naz (Riz Ahmed), who is accused of murder.

Creator: Richard H. Prince and Steven Zaillian

Genre(s): Drama, Movie/Mini-Series

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Show Guide

90
Series Overview
90
Season 1 Overview
Air Date: July 10, 2016
tbd
8. The Call of the Wild
Air Date: August 28, 2016
tbd
7. Ordinary Death
Air Date: August 21, 2016
tbd
6. Samson and Delilah
Air Date: August 14, 2016
tbd
5. The Season of the Witch
Air Date: August 7, 2016
tbd
4. The Art of War
Air Date: July 31, 2016
tbd
3. A Dark Crate
Air Date: July 24, 2016
tbd
2. Subtle Beast
Air Date: July 17, 2016
tbd
1. The Beach
Air Date: July 10, 2016

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

The Lincoln Journal Star - Jeff Korbelik

Jul 11, 2016

The wide-eyed Ahmed is perfect as the naive young man who can’t seem to make a right decision. That is until he agrees to let Turturro’s Jack Stone help him. And Turturro hits the right notes as the cynical attorney who has his work cut out for him. Read full review

100

The Salt Lake Tribune - Scott D. Pierce

Jul 6, 2016

It's enthralling. The Night Of looks like this summer's TV obsession. Read full review

100

TV Guide Magazine - Matt Roush

Jul 8, 2016

As complicated and layered as life itself, The Night Of is an instant classic. [11-24 Jul 2016, p.16]

The New York Times - James Poniewozik

Jul 7, 2016

[A] tense and exquisite limited series on HBO. ... The later episodes become a more conventional legal story, as Stone patches together a defense, and the case becomes Nancy Grace-ified in the media. There are nods to TV legal series throughout. Read full review

Philadelphia Inquirer - Ellen Gray

Jul 11, 2016

The performances, in fact, are so uniformly strong and the direction so deft that it's possible to overlook a plot that, like The Killing (and Netflix's new thriller Marcella) introduces a few too many Law & Order-like plot twists to be totally believable. Read full review

Slant Magazine - Chuck Bowen

Jul 7, 2016

The narrative's broad strokes are compelling, particularly as defensive attorney Jack Stone (John Turturro) begins to uncover the murder suspects who detective Dennis Box (Bill Camp) couldn't be bothered to dig up, but it's the textural flourishes that distinguish The Night Of from more formulaic courtroom fare, such as the continuing emphasis that Zaillian and Price place on the notion of ritual as cultural currency. Read full review

Boston Herald - Mark A. Perigard

Jul 7, 2016

At one point, The Night Of might have been groundbreaking. But in the wake of the excellent ABC series “American Crime,” which has walked the same outrage with far more nuances, sophistication and a superior cast, The Night Of feels so last decade. Read full review

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User Score

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8.8

User Reviews

Paulo_Jorge

Jul 10, 2016

Where do I begin with? That's the best pilot that I've ever seen since True Detective's pilot, such a masterpiece driven story of a mysterious homicide which places even the spectator who has seen what actually happened in a doubting position, but upon this amazing storytelling comes someWhere do I begin with? That's the best pilot that I've ever seen since True Detective's pilot, such a masterpiece driven story of a mysterious homicide which places even the spectator who has seen what actually happened in a doubting position, but upon this amazing storytelling comes some great acting, some actors that I've never seen before were just acting the **** out of this pilot, like Riz Ahmed for an example. And for those that I've already known, John Turturro's character seems to have a great connection with Naz (Riz Ahmed), and as a bonus, I've never seen Sofia Black being so convincing.

Overall, it doesn't take itself as serious as True Detective did and indeed The Night Of comes from a quite different vibe comparing to it, showing the crime from a different perspective and creating a great thriller with it, so again, great acting, great plot, great storytelling and great cinematography, that's a perfect pilot.… Expand

20 of 24 users found this helpful204

TheZeroPercent

Sep 15, 2016

WOW!!! Be careful! This one will steal 8 hours right from under you!!!

I am no master of cinematography, so I am not exactly sure how to explain a piece of cinema that is so damned good!! My mind is blow, this one is as good as it gets baby! Pure gold!

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Kar_Rwen

Jul 25, 2016

All I can say is wow. I was blown away by the first episode. It was exciting, the plot so suspenseful and the characters are so complex and compelling. Such a great example of good television that will last the ages.

6 of 7 users found this helpful61

ajgseries

Nov 30, 2017

It’s one of the greatest mini series I’ve seen in my life. The thing that catches my attention the most is the cinematography. There is something beautiful, something magnificent to appreciate in every scene. The thing I least liked was the end, not bad, but I think it could have finishedIt’s one of the greatest mini series I’ve seen in my life. The thing that catches my attention the most is the cinematography. There is something beautiful, something magnificent to appreciate in every scene. The thing I least liked was the end, not bad, but I think it could have finished better. It's a well-produced series, very characteristic of HBO.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

brockcheese

Jul 12, 2016

The first episode is absolutely riveting from start to finish. Almost everything about this show is well done. The acting is great, the cinematography is very expressionistic.

9 of 10 users found this helpful91

Thirdrail

Sep 8, 2016

Amazing production values, and solid performances. Two things keep me giving this higher marks: one, the core crime itself is just so predictable, it's like a song you've so many times that it can only be grating, no matter who sings it, or why. Killing the slutty free spirited girl wasAmazing production values, and solid performances. Two things keep me giving this higher marks: one, the core crime itself is just so predictable, it's like a song you've so many times that it can only be grating, no matter who sings it, or why. Killing the slutty free spirited girl was really the best idea anyone in that writer's room could come up with? Seriously, what slutty free spirited girl has ever been deemed worthy to survive a crime story? Like, none, ever, in the history of tv of movies. It's just so painfully par for course. And the kid's reaction to the crime, which is so ridiculously stupid. They might as well have had a UFO or a fairy fly in to control his mind for a few minutes, it wouldn't have been any less outlandish than his reaction to finding the girl dead. And without that insanely dumb/boring stint of writing to set the rest of the story up, you have absolutely nothing, so, as defects, they are tough to ignore. Still, the show is too pretty, and too well executed, on some fundamental level, to actually be unwatchable. It's disappointing they didn't put as much time into the story as they did the look, because this really could have been a True Detective level production, had they simply tried to be a little smarter with their script.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

bob516

Dec 26, 2016

Very stylish, but that is about where it ended for me. I knew from the beginning that Naz was going to be charged with the crime, so why did the first episode spend so much time creating moments when it looked like the patrol officers that stopped him let him off, walk away scot free fromVery stylish, but that is about where it ended for me. I knew from the beginning that Naz was going to be charged with the crime, so why did the first episode spend so much time creating moments when it looked like the patrol officers that stopped him let him off, walk away scot free from the crime scene, or walk out of the police station with no one noticing. Seems like poor, lazy writing to me, and it only got worse. I pushed through the first episode, and tried to get through the second, but gave up half way.

I sure hope the deer head hanging on the wall had some meaning later on, otherwise it was pretentious b.s.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEE ALL 73 REVIEWS

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