On a superficial level, Martin Scorsese and comedy don’t really sound musical, as the director seldom tried his hand in comedy. But as the legendary director had his birthday on November 17th, what better way to have a post-celebration than to stream one of the rare Scorsese works?
Imagine you’re trying to live a mundane night; you just plan to leave your apartment to find a girl. But then, things started to go south as events piled up, and now someone wants to kill you, and you don’t know what to do. If you think it sounds like an average Kafka story, thank Mr. Scorsese as he creates the classic comedy gem.
Created out of mere frustration, Scorsese managed to pull off one timeless comedy as Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Verna Bloom, and Tommy Chong join them to create one of the most bizarre ‘one night’ films.
Paul Hackett, an ordinary office worker, meets Marcy, a mysterious woman, in a Manhattan cafe. Intrigued, Paul accompanies her on a surreal journey through the city. As the night goes on, Paul experiences a bunch of bizarre encounters, from eccentric artists to aggressive mobs. Desperate to return home, he faces escalating obstacles, including a burglary, mistaken identity, and confrontations with ‘weird’ characters.
The night becomes increasingly chaotic, testing Paul’s sanity. Eventually, he finds himself in a bizarre sculpture-filled loft, surrounded by a peculiar community. And if you thought the night is the weirdest part of the film, wait for how it all turns out by morning.
It does have the craziness that Scorsese possesses, along with his brilliant direction, which is really prominent. There is also great BGM, making it way beyond its time, and in terms of on-screen performances, Griffin Dunne pulled out something special. And the bizarre nature of the dark comedy makes it such a special watch.
“After Hours” is streaming on Prime Video, and if you want to wait until Sunday night to stream it, click below to watch the trailer-