| Night Call | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| French | La nuit se traîne |
| Directed by | Michiel Blanchart |
| Screenplay by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Sylvestre Vannoorenberghe |
| Edited by | Matthieu Jamet-Louis |
| Music by | Tanguy Destable |
Production companies |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 97 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
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| Language | French[2] |
| Box office | $679,409[3] |
Night Call (French:La nuit se traîne) is a 2024action thriller film[4] directed by Michiel Blanchart in his featuredirectorial debut, from a screenplay he co-wrote withGilles Marchand.[5] Set over the course of a night amid aBlack Lives Matter protest in Belgium, a young locksmith is called for nocturnal assignment that plunges him into danger. It stars Jonathan Feltre, Natacha Krief,Jonas Bloquet,Thomas Mustin, andRomain Duris. The film is an international co-production between Belgium and France.
Night Call had its world premiere as the opening film in International Competition at the Biarritz Film Festival - Nouvelles Vagues on 18 June 2024, where it won the Audience Award. It was released theatrically in France byGaumont on 28 August 2024, and in Belgium by Lumière on 4 September 2024. It received eleven nominations at the14th Magritte Awards, winning ten, includingBest Film,Best First Feature Film, andBest Director for Blanchart, holding the record for the most Magritte Awards won by a single film.[6]
Night Call marks the directorial debut of Belgian filmmakerMichiel Blanchart, who wrote the screenplay in collaboration with French filmmakerGilles Marchand.[7]
A co-production between Belgium and France, the film was produced by Michaël Goldberg for Boucan Productions and Boris Van Gils for Formosa, with co-production by Margaux Marciano and Nicolas Duval Adassovsky for Quad. Additional co-producers includeGaumont,France 3 Cinéma,RTL,VOO,BeTV, andProximus. The production was also supported byCanal+ and the Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, and Eurimages.[8]
Principal photography took place inBrussels andMolenbeek-Saint-Jean, Belgium for 35 days between March and April 2023.[8][9][10]
Night Call was the opening film at the Biarritz Film Festival - Nouvelles Vagues in Biarritz, France on 18 June 2024, where it had its world premiere in the International Competition section.[11]
The film was released theatrically in France byGaumont on 28 August 2024, and was released in Belgium by Lumière on 4 September 2024.[8]
In May 2024,Magnet Releasing acquired North American distribution rights to the film.[12]
In Belgium,Night Call surpassed 30,000 admissions, making it one of the most-watched Belgian films of 2024.[13] Romain Pirard fromMoustique magazine considered it a notable performance compared to the previous cinematic season in the country, citing the top three Belgian films of 2023—Omen (14,270 admissions),Love According to Dalva (11,678 admissions), andThe Jolly Forgers (10,864 admissions)—all of which recorded lower numbers.[14] Pirard also noted thatNight Call's strong reception demonstrates the potential of national productions from Belgium to attract a wide audience.[14]
Night Call received positive reviews from critics. Thereview aggregator websiteAlloCiné assigned the film a weighted average score of 3.4 out of 5, based on 24 critics.[15] OnRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 79% based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10.[16]
Ben Gibbons fromScreen Rant gave it four stars out of five, praising the film for imbuing a typical action-thriller premise with creativity and deeper meaning. He remarked, "It's not a movie about spies and highly skilled fighters; it's a story about a dark and occasionally terrifying world."[17] Murtada Elfadl fromVariety stated that the film not only delivers an entertaining action adventure but introduces a director who brings a modern spin to the genre, addressing topical issues and distinguishing itself from typical action fare.[18]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgian Film Critics Association | 13 December 2024 | Best Film | Won | [19] | |
| Biarritz Film Festival - Nouvelles Vagues | 22 June 2024 | Grand Prix | Nominated | [11] | |
| Audience Award | Won | ||||
| Magritte Awards | 22 February 2025 | Best Film | Won | [6] | |
| Best Director | Michiel Blanchart | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Won | ||||
| Best Supporting Actor | Jonas Bloquet | Won | |||
| Thomas Mustin | Nominated | ||||
| Best First Feature Film | Won | ||||
| Best Cinematography | Sylvestre Vannoorenberghe | Won | |||
| Best Sound | David Vranken, David Gillain, Joey Van Impe, Thibaud Rie, Fabrice Grizard, Antoine Wattier, and Vincent Gregorio | Won | |||
| Best Production Design | Catherine Cosme | Won | |||
| Best Costume Design | Isabel Van Renterghem | Won | |||
| Best Editing | Matthieu Jamet-Louis | Won |
