We Own the Night, directed by James Gray, is a crime drama released in French theaters on November 28, 2007. Led by Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Duvall and Eva Mendes, the film plunges into late-1980s New York, weaving between nightclubs, the Russian mafia and the NYPD.
We Own the Night
Film | 2007
In theaters: November 28, 2007
Drama, crime, thriller | Runtime: 1h54
Directed by James Gray | Screenplay by James Gray
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Duvall, Eva Mendes
Original title: We Own the Night
Nationality: United States
In New York City in the late 1980s, Bobby runs a nightclub that attracts the Russian mob. To safeguard his rise in this nocturnal world, he hides his family ties: his father Burt and his brother Joseph hold senior posts in the New York Police Department. Only his partner Amada knows about this double life.
As the drug trade heats up and the Russian mob claws its way into power, confrontations with law enforcement grow more brutal by the day. Bobby finds himself increasingly torn, forced to choose between the world he moves in and the family he’s drifted from.
The original title, We Own the Night, taps into the motto of a New York Police Department unit that fights street-level crime. James Gray places his story in a city grappling with rising crime and the crack epidemic, while capturing the energy of Brooklyn’s clubs and nightlife in the late 1980s.
We Own the Night reunites Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg once more after The Yards, which James Gray had already directed. The two actors play two brothers who are everything but alike: one tied to the nightlife, the other a police officer. Robert Duvall, brought on after Christopher Walken left the project, completes the family triangle in the father’s role.
The film screened in competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and was also nominated for the César Award for Best Foreign Film in 2008. Its score was composed by Wojciech Kilar, a composer already linked to Dracula, The Pianist and The Ninth Gate.
With its blend of family drama, urban noir, and a crime thriller, La Nuit nous appartient should appeal to fans of crime films rooted in a specific era, as well as to those who follow James Gray’s exploration of family ties, loyalty, and the weight of origins.
Trailer for The Night Belongs to Us:
To go further, also check out our selection of HBO Max’s May releases, our guide to streaming titles across all platforms, and today’s streaming pick: What to watch today.
This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here.
