“Judgment Night” is a 1993 action packed thriller that checks the boxes for a fun flick. Music, fashion, and cars that scream 1993 are just the start. The cast and story are true relics of a bygone era.
It’s time for a guy’s night out. Frank Wyatt (Emilio Estevez) has a wife and child at home, making him the only family man of the bunch. Frank is joined by his immature friends Mike (Cuba Gooding Jr) and Ray (Jeremy Piven) and his hothead younger brother John (Stephen Dorff). The group are venturing to a boxing match in a party style RV.
In a world devoid of GPS, the friends get lost in a downtrodden section of Chicago. After witnessing a murder, they are forced to evade a ruthless drug dealer (Denis Leary) who will stop at nothing to silence them permanently.
The Windy City
What starts as an evening of fun quickly devolves into a life and death chase through the crime ridden streets of Chicago. I’m a huge fan of stories that occur in a single night. This 110-minute thriller is set in a near real-time format, adding to the tension.
The foursome of friends is all great in their perspective roles. Emilio Estevez is perfect as the responsible leader of the group. Cuba Gooding Jr and Stephen Dorff can do edgy quite well. And there’s no better embodiment of smarmy yuppie than Jeremy Piven. It’s believable that these guys are an actual group of friends, each with their own nuance. It’s like The Hangover with more dire stakes.
Good Bad Guys
Denis Leary makes for a memorable, albeit absurd villain. He’s over the top, delivering speeches and acting sinister even when its not called for. Peter Greene, who I loved in “The Usual Suspects” and House of Pain rapper Everlast play the villainous henchmen.
Filmed in Chicago, even those who have never been to the city can appreciate its perils. The friends are successful guys from upper class neighborhoods. They are completely out of their element overnight in the ghetto.
“Judgement Night” is a fun movie. It won’t break the bank of all time greats, but slides in a nice action flick from the 90s.
