Mala Noche (1986)

Date	User	Rating
Aug 21, 2021	peyrin	70 _56th
Otherworldly B&W photography. Living in the shadows of society.
Oct 10, 2013	redflag	99 _96th
I'm a sucker for lo-fi production values used to artistic effect. A nice meditation on American borders- of all kinds.
Oct 07, 2013	glm01	83 _75th
83.000
Aug 07, 2013	wetwillies	80 _37th
I love the visuals of this one. Beautiful and dingy black and white photography. The other parts don't excite me quite as much, but definitely worth viewing.
Feb 25, 2013	JooJoo	5 _80th
Feels like someone took a Burroughs novella and shook 99% of the prose, drugs, and counterculture spirit out of it. What's left is still pleasantly downbeat.
Sep 29, 2011	Moribunny	60 _54th
I appreciate Van Sant's debut better than I like it. His subsequent films are just as arty, but more dramatic and have a better flow. Much of Mala Noche treads the thin line between low-key/atmosphere and boring filler with too much guitar doodle in the soundtrack. Which is a shame, because it has a decent story and good photography.
Aug 30, 2011	Alon Reter	73 _77th
It's small and really sweet. The aesthetic is awesome, somewhere between Film Noir and MJ's billie jean.
Apr 23, 2011	MartinTeller	67 _30th
Evokes Stranger Than Paradise, but Van Sant largely avoids Jarmusch's calculated looseness and manages to meander without feeling aimless. The matter-of-fact approach to homosexuality is refreshing, as is the not entirely sympathetic protagonist. On the downside, however, the performances are not that good, especially Tim Streeter's narration. The photography is impressive, but often too showy. And the film as a whole doesn't give you enough to latch onto. It's interesting, but fleeting.
Jan 20, 2011	Must Unsee	81 _70th
note to self: needs rewatch
Dec 26, 2010	glm	82 _71st
81.750
Oct 26, 2009	ehrenkm	50 _14th
Gorgeously shot mood piece with a thin story.
Jan 13, 2009	Nkkbc	68 _23rd
Considering such a minimal budget, Van Sant has definitely crafted a debut film that shows a lot of promise. However Mala Noche has many flaws that ultimately detract from it's moments of brilliance. The plot could have been expanded upon and at times left much to be desired, it was never pretentious, it just lacked a certain magic found in his later brilliant pictures.
Sep 20, 2008	Bitch Alert	80 _78th
A beautiful hidden gem from one of the great auteurs of our time. Had the privilege to see this in a theater.
Jun 30, 2008	brettjm16	90 _83rd
An exceptional debut from one of the great American directors of our time.

Average Percentile 56.64% from 235 Ratings