Detective Espada knows that Bart is hiding something. We learn from Bart’s mother (Helen Hunt) that he suffers from Asperger’s and attempts to protect Bart from self-incriminating himself. Bart is then transferred to a new hotel until the investigation subsides. It’s here that Bart meets Andrea (Ana de Armas) and the two form a special bond as Andrea’s brother suffered from a more severe form of Asperger’s. There’s a little flirtation between the two along with a little secrecy as Andrea holding back important information and Bart has been spying on her with his cameras.
“We learn why Bart has these cameras set up and It’s not what you’d imagine.”
As far as thrillers go, The Night Clerk is a little light on thrills. That said, there are more interesting things going on, which makes the film worth watching. We learn why Bart has these cameras set up and It’s not what you’d imagine. As Ethel, Helen Hunt is good as Bart’s mother. She loves her son and is always worried about what he’s doing, how he’s treated by others, ignorant about Bart’s voyeur addiction, and protects her son from saying something that will get him thrown in jail. Ana de Armas is tremendous and you can quickly figure out her role in the overall story. Her talent seems wasted considering her performance in Knives Out and her soon-to-be stint as a Bond-girl. I also like John Leguizamo as the investigating detective. He’s sort of the bad guy, but he’s doing his job investigating a murder.
In the end, The Night Clerk brings on the thrills as it unravels in interesting ways. I wish the excitement could have reached a level ten, but it only goes to a seven, which, ironically, is its score.
"…the thrills as it unravels in interesting ways."
