The problem with 'The Night Clerk', and I've seen many films fall into this trap, is that it gives itself a really annoying lead character for the audience to have to follow and side with. Now there are two sides to that coin. One is that the character is unique and interesting to watch from a medical point of view, and that's why the movie puts him there. But the other side of that coin is that it becomes really frustrating and hard to watch very quickly. It gives the film a point of difference, but a point of difference for the sake of it isn't always enough.
Tye Sheridan does a fantastic job playing the lead role. He nails Aspergers syndrome. Before it was ever mentioned in the film I was 100% certain that was what I was looking at. He keeps it up for the entire movie and never drops a scene either. The other cast member who really impressed me was Ana de Armas. I came to learn of her acting talents in 'Knives Out' and she has impressed me again here. She didn't have anything overly special to do in the film, but you could still tell she was a class above the rest.
The film itself is a little obvious in what it is trying to set up and surprise the audience with. There's one scene in particular that they thought they were being subtle with, but in reality it put all the cards on the table and gave the game away. Also there is a mystery element of sorts to the film that, had it been handled differently, could have been really interesting. Instead it was just clunky and petered out to dust by the end. I think the thing to watch this film for is Sheridan's performance and as a character study of an Aspergers syndrome. Otherwise there isn't a whole lot going for it.
