Night Dragon (2008)

Review by Tim-O



Starring: Imogen Church, Annette Kellow
Directed by Tim Biddiscombe
"Night Dragon" is about a lesbian lawyer (Kellow) who falls in love with a woman (Church) who just happens to be secretly working for the mobster she is trying to prosecute and put in jail. Kellow is taken hostage in her home by two hit men who work for the same mobster. Eventually, she discovers that Church has been playing her for the same info that the hit men are trying to extort out of her. However, it seems Church has actually fallen in love with Kellow. Guilt ridden, Church now tries to devise a way to save Kellow and escape together to live happily ever after.

“Night Dragon” is a low budget shot on video movie from the U.K. that is packaged as an exploitation film but is really a dialogue driven crime melodrama. There are no real hot or racy scenes of lesbians and not a lot of action or gore, either. (Although there is a little bit) The acting goes from wooden to annoying. The directing seems uninspired and the story needlessly jumps around in time. This technique only works when you have a really compelling story that keeps you glued to every detail, which “Night Dragon” unfortunately does not. I found the jumps a little jarring and a bit confusing. The DVD cover compares the movie with “Bound” (starring Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly). Thematically, this comparison is accurate. However, “Bound” is a far superior film loaded with intense eroticism and excruciating suspense.

“Night Dragon” isn’t the worst movie I’ve ever seen. It’s just kind of bland and empty. It’s technically proficient for its budget and it really seems to want to be better than it ultimately ends up being. The best way I can explain it is that it kind of feels like a poor man’s Guy Ritchie film without the energy his movies bring to the table. If you’re really into that kind of film, I’d say give it a rent and maybe you’ll find a diamond in the rough. I, however, found it a bit tedious and boring. 3/10