Night Night
Night Night (2019)
Created, starring, written, and directed by: Nine Blackmon
Few words can describe the experience of watching Nine Blackmon’s work, and his series Night Night in particular.
The story of a recovering alcoholic who gets blackmailed into contract killing for his family, the series pulsates with an unbridled energy that is nearly unmatched in the indie series space. It is part healing drama, part thriller, part surrealistic meditation on the trappings of masculinity that pulls no punches and delights viewers looking for a little skin with their queer fables.
The series starts with a bang with a dream sequence that feels real. Violence and sex, love and hate, comingle in the tussle between two muscular Black men in an apartment. Do they want to kill each other or have sex with each other? The series sets up the tension that is at once deeply disturbing and erotic. We learn that alcohol and drugs are at play somewhat, and our lead character looks to a bearded drag fairy godmother, Bright Lady, for guidance. (Responsibly, the episodes end with references to support services for alcohol, crystal meth, and PrEP).
Nine is a prolific filmmaker whose work typically explores the messy realities of gay male desire. The films may draw viewers in with buff bodies and titillating promises of sex, but viewers will leave questioning their choices, ethics, and desires, particularly gay and queer men for whom media that explicitly represents the darkest elements of romance is rarer.
There is so much in Night Night tight four episodes but it feels wrong to spoil. It is best to approach the series with an open, sober mind, because it’s a trip. While some may say it teeters on sensationalism, Nine Blackmon’s work reveals how sanitizing representations of our desires prevents us from sincerely questioning their limits.