Review: Nightshade

Director: Landon Williams

Screenplay: Sarah Smith-Williams and Landon Williams

Year: 2022

Ben is a detective who investigates a series of murders that begin to occur in his city. Shortly after the murders start to emerge, Ben begins to have dreams about the murders that appear to be premonitions. However, the detective begins to suspect that his dreams have a darker connection to the murders.

“Nightshade” begins as a mixture of crime thriller and family drama. We start by meeting the protagonist Ben Hays, played by Lou Ferrigno Jr. (“How I Met Your Mother”), who is undergoing psychological therapy due to his line of work and the situation he is experiencing with his wife. Not long ago, Ben and his wife Lucy miscarried.

Soon after, a series of murders begin to be recorded, which Ben investigates through his work as a police detective. His investigation reveals that all these murders seem to come from the same perpetrator, but he can't find the person responsible. However, in his dreams, he begins to see the murders as they happen and begins to suspect that he may be involved in the act.

The plot in the script by Sarah Smith-Williams and Landon Williams, the latter who also directs, seems to be predictable and is handled that way for much of the film. However, this seems to be what the writers want to achieve and then catch you off guard with the final twist, an unexpected and effective one. The plot is entertaining, but the unexpected twist is the special element, although it raises many questions and open holes in the story.

For the rest, "Nightshade" has the usual problems of a low-budget movie. The cast complies with the performances being bearable and at times correct, but nothing remarkable in this regard. The audiovisual field also meets the minimum standards, and the script is the best it offers, although it does not escape having unrealistic dialogues and plot holes.

“Nightshade” starts out as a simple police drama, but it is a much more ambitious proposal. Unfortunately, not all of his ideas are well executed. However, the plot is intriguing and offers a highly unexpected twist that is the best argument in its favor.