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6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Midnight Club remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies where people talk in posh accents while holding martini glasses, yeah, watch it. It’s light, it’s snappy, and nobody is going to have a breakdown watching it. If you want a heist movie with actual stakes or, I don't know, a plot that doesn't feel like it was written on a cocktail napkin, skip it.
The whole thing is built around Colin Grant, played by Clive Brook. He has this way of looking at people like they’re mildly annoying insects he hasn't bothered to squash yet. It’s a very 1930s kind of cool. He plays a thief who doesn't bother with masks. Why would he? He’s too rich to be caught.
Then Nick Mason shows up. George Raft brings that specific kind of tough-guy energy that feels like it wandered in from a completely different movie set. He starts flirting with Helen Vinson’s character, and suddenly the whole “professional criminal” vibe goes right out the window. It’s petty. It’s messy. I loved it.
You can tell the writers had a blast with the snarky lines. It’s not exactly The Third Degree in terms of tension, but it’s got a rhythm that kept me awake. The way the characters pivot from robbing a vault to having a polite argument about a girl is just wild.
Sometimes the movie feels like it’s trying to be a romantic comedy disguised as a crime drama. I think it fails at both, but in a way that’s actually kind of charming. It doesn't take itself too seriously, which is a mercy.
Honestly? It’s a bit thin. Like, paper-thin. You watch it, you have a drink, you forget the ending about ten minutes after the credits roll. But for a Tuesday night? You could do a lot worse. It’s got that weird, glossy polish of old studio films where every room looks like it was decorated by someone who really loves velvet curtains.
If you’ve seen The Silent Battle, you know the vibe. It’s all about the posturing. I spent half the movie just wondering how much starch they used on those shirt collars. They look painful. Anyway, it’s a fine way to kill 80 minutes if you don't mind a movie that's mostly just people being rude to each other in fancy clothes. 🍸
IMDb —
1923
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