The stage curtains open ...
"Nightwatch" is one of those dark, brooding horror thrillers that grabs you from the first minute and doesn't let you go. A young Ewan McGregor plays the part of Martin Bells, a college student looking for an easy job where he can spend most of his time studying and reading. What he gets is anything but!
Martin Bells is the new night watchman at a hospital morgue, surrounded by haunting images, pictures and human cadavers. Active at the same time, is a serial killer - who takes his victim's eyes as sort of a trophy, his signature. Unfortunately for Martin, their two paths cross when the killer is looking to pin the murders on someone else - and Martin fits the bill. Nick Nolte plays a morbid, shady detective working the case, and Josh Brolin as Martin's perverted, thrill seeking friend.
The killer, at least to me, wasn't too hard to figure out, but the acting and story was developed very well keeping you engaged and interested. The cinematography was pretty good with striking visuals and dark overtones. The morgue really plays out as a character of its own, having a major role in the film's outcome. I really liked Ewan McGregor in this film. He played the part very convincingly, showing flashes of a great career ahead of him. Also fun to see in this movie, was an early supporting role by John C. Reilly.
I would definitely recommend this one. If you like dark, twisted thrillers, this is a good one for you. It is a bit predictable, but still a good movie. It's not the best of its genre, but you could do a lot worse than spend 90 minutes of your time watching "Nightwatch".
