While the film certainly falls short of generating the deep wells of feeling to which it aspires, primarily through its most genre-standard plot points, its voice is still striking, its characterizations memorable.

The result is at once accosting and strangely affirming, narrowly saved by a strong cast of performers and moody cinematography that navigate the movie’s thinner aspects and more ambiguous moments with relative ease.

What becomes of someone when all their self-improvement is wiped away? Even through a thin plot, “Eat the Night” earns its noir stripes by staring into that abyss.

Eat The Night is both passionate and bleak. This is a combination that takes real mastery of both writing and direction.