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I am a big fan of the ‘90s-era thriller. I grew up watching a lot of the output of that time period with my parents. Oftentimes, they couldn’t find a babysitter and would take me along if the picture they were going to wasn’t too explicit. That led to me discovering a lot of gripping films I may have otherwise missed. On that note, I am pleased to be championing a suspenseful Rutger Hauer flick from 1991 that counts the great Quentin Tarantino as an associate producer (and an uncredited screenwriter).
Ben Jordan (Rutger Hauer) has served 15 years in prison for the murder of his wife. The evidence seems to suggest he stabbed her multiple times and even captured the proceedings leading up to her death with a Super-8 video camera. Social worker Laura Matthews (Natasha Richardson) is assigned to help Ben put his life back together and gear up to reenter the workforce following his incarceration. While she initially assumes Ben must be guilty of the crime for which he was convicted, she eventually comes to wonder if there could be merit to his proclamations of innocence. Laura will have to trust her instincts to discern if Ben is truly innocent or just a gifted conman. What follows is an intense and unpredictable web of deceit where nothing is what it seems.
This forgotten thriller features a solid cast and effective performances from both leads. Rutger Hauer shows a softness and a vulnerability that we didn’t see all that frequently from the late actor. He was usually cast as a tough guy. But he is very soft spoken and almost meek here. In addition to speaking to the actor’s versatility, that distinction also serves to add an element of intrigue. Though the evidence suggests that he may have killed his wife, he doesn’t have the bravado or sense of entitlement one might expect from a coldblooded killer. That gave me pause and added a layer of intrigue to the proceedings.
The late Natasha Richardson is also well cast as Laura. She convincingly sells the conceit that she is internally conflicted about her feelings for Ben and about his guilt or lack thereof. She also conveys a believable mixture of inner toughness juxtaposed against a strong sense of empathy, which makes perfect sense, given that she’s portraying a social worker. One needs both characteristics to succeed in that line of work.
The two leads function well together in their onscreen coupling. There is an almost immediate sexual chemistry between them. It’s not exactly a meet-cute, considering he’s a parolee and she’s a social worker. But you quickly start to see the sparks fly, which makes the viewer want to believe Ben is innocent and that Laura is in good hands. However, the looming possibility that he is guilty of murder establishes an ever-present sense of tension as we try to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The twists and turns surrounding Ben’s innocence or guilt keep things lively until the point at which all is made clear.
Speaking of the point at which all is made clear, the flick has a pretty satisfying ending. it’s a little over-the-top. But it’s a fitting conclusion to the twists and turns that precede it. And I found myself pretty taken with it upon my inaugural viewing.
Past Midnight has a definite neo-noir quality, with Laura in the detective role. Much of this erotic thriller revolves around her quest to learn the truth about Ben. She doesn’t quite fit the mold of the hardboiled detective archetype so common to film noir. But she, nonetheless, possesses a dogged determination to put the pieces together. Additionally, the Super-8 video footage is presented in black-and-white, which serves as a nod to the origins of the film noir era.
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In addition to the picture’s noir sensibilities, it also serves up a healthy dose of eroticism. While not quite as overtly sexual as steamy contemporaries like Color of Night or Basic Instinct, the film is absolutely tinged with sexuality. There’s an intimate montage around the midway point that spices up the experience a great deal. All that sexual tension comes to a head while the leads copulate with much vigor throughout the course of a dark and rainy night.
This picture marks Quentin Tarantino’s fist screen credit. He was billed as an associate producer. But he reportedly also took an (uncredited) pass at the script. I’m not sure you can see all that much of the auteur director’s influence in the finished product (at least, not the Tarantino we now know). But I still find it fascinating that he worked on this picture. And just a year after its release, he would be hurled into the spotlight for his impressive work on a little film called Reservoir Dogs.
All things considered, Past Midnight is an erotic, noir thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. It’s out-of-print of DVD but you can acquire it as a digital rental or download. And if you prefer physical media like I do, copies can be found on eBay for fairly reasonable rates as of the publication of this post.
Categorized: Editorials
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