Inthesummerof’76,asPresidentJimmyCarterpledgestogivegovernmentbacktothepeople,tensionsrunhighinaworking-classPhiladelphianeighborhoodwheretheBlackPanthersonceflourished.WhenMarcusreturns—havingboltedyearsearlier—hishomecomingisn’texactlymetwithfanfare.Hisformermovementbrothersblamehimforanunspeakablebetrayal.Onlyhisbestfriend’swidow,Patricia,appreciatesMarcus’spredicament,whichbothunitesandparalyzesthem.AsPatricia’sdaughtercompelsthetwocomradestoconfronttheirpast,historyrepeatsitselfindangerousways. NightCatchesUsmasterfullyreckonswiththecomplexityofitscharacters’revolutionaryideologiesandinternaldesires.Bell-bottoms,Afros,potlucks,andCaddiessetthesceneasthefilmpotentlyinterweavespoliticalmediawithanevocativesoul-inspiredscore,summoningavividsenseofplaceandtime.Thegoldenlightthatbathescharacters’facesseemstoexpressthepromise—andelusiveness—ofthenecessarychangeMarcusandPatriciastruggleforsodearly—eachbyseparatemeans.
