Near Dark

"...pray for daylight."

1987 1h 34m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

🍅

80%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.9

IMDB

★6.8TMDB · 921🍅80%Rotten Tomatoes●78Metacritic★6.9IMDB · 47,913

Horror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A farm boy reluctantly becomes a member of the undead when a girl he meets turns out to be part of a band of vampires who roam the highways in stolen cars.

“...pray for daylight.”

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Cast

Adrian Pasdar
Caleb Colton
Jenny Wright
Mae
Lance Henriksen
Jesse Hooker
Bill Paxton
Severen
Jenette Goldstein
Diamondback
Tim Thomerson
Loy Colton
Joshua John Miller
Homer
Marcie Leeds
Sarah Colton

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writers: Eric Red, Kathryn Bigelow, Alan Munro
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 68% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

39 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, shot by Adam Greenberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Paul Haslinger. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Howard E. Smith shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Adrian Pasdar and Jenny Wright and Lance Henriksen carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "...pray for daylight.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0093605 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kathryn Bigelow directs. Adam Greenberg behind the camera. Paul Haslinger scores. Howard E. Smith cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 68% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
239 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, shot by Adam Greenberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Paul Haslinger. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Howard E. Smith shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Adrian Pasdar and Jenny Wright and Lance Henriksen carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "...pray for daylight.".
8IMDB entry: tt0093605 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 19 themes, including "farm", "small town", "vampire", "motel".
10Released under 17 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Adam Greenberg
Original score: Paul Haslinger
Editing: Howard E. Smith
Production design: Stephen Altman
Costume design: Joseph A. Porro
Makeup / hair: Linda Nottestad
Sound: Richard D. Rogers
Stunt coordinator: Everett Creach
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $5,000,000
Box office: $3,400,000
Return: 68% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Near Dark (1987)
Rotten Tomatoes: 80% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 78/100
IMDB rating: 6.9/10 · 47,913 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

1 win & 9 nominations total

Also by

Kathryn Bigelow

Stills · wallpapers

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Gimly2019-10-02
★ 7/10
Thirty years on, and Near Dark still holds up. A young Bill Paxton steals the show as a Texas vampire who's equal parts bikie and cowboy, even amongst such stars as Lance Henriksen and Adrian Pasdar. One of the most influential vampire films of all time, it's vibrations can still be felt in the monster movies of today, and while that's not always a good thing, it's noteworthy, and Near Dark in and of itself is a great Southern Gothic tale for the modern world. Final rating:★★★½ - I really liked it. Would strongly recommend you give it your time.

Production companies