Nightsleeper review: Ham-fisted thriller is like Red Eye, but dafter
In a nod to the Die Hard franchise, we meet Joe Roag (played by Joe Cole), an off-duty police officer who finds himself unexpectedly caught up in a dangerous situation. As he steps up to help the passengers escape, he receives support from Abby Aysgarth (portrayed by Alexandra Roach), an operative from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Together, they're determined to outsmart the villain behind the chaos.
Accompanying them is a diverse group of travelers who, in a rather unfortunate twist of circumstances, appear to have been brought together to annoy each other: a government official with low popularity, a probing journalist (ugh), a critic of progressive culture, an outspoken young liberal, a woman with a complicated history, her cold father-in-law, and others like them.
It doesn't take long for them to start clashing, adding more tension to an already high-pressure situation. However, there might be a chance for them to discover some shared interests as things continue to heat up. *Sigh*, alright then.
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I do believe that there are more things that bring us together than divide us. Cooperation, empathy, and understanding are important qualities to develop in our society. However, I don't think forcing these messages into an action thriller in a heavy-handed or awkward way is an effective way to promote that idea.
Here's a different way to express that idea: I find it hard to believe that someone who holds deeply prejudiced beliefs could change into a model of acceptance just from watching six hours of Nightsleeper. To be honest, that's quite a high expectation for any TV show, especially one that often comes across as a simplistic educational program with shallow insights.
In several instances, a scene reduces to a character directly telling the audience about the social issue they are facing, which can feel forced and disrupts the flow of the show. While representation is extremely important, it's crucial to find thoughtful ways to integrate it into the storyline seamlessly.
I'm worried that Nightsleeper will provide online trolls with more fuel for their negative and abusive behavior instead of encouraging them to take a break from their screens. As someone who supports social progress and believes in showcasing a broader range of life experiences on television, it’s incredibly frustrating to witness it being presented so clumsily during prime time.
From left to right, we see Daniel Cahill, Ruth Madeley, Katie Leung, Leah MacRae, Alex Ferns, and Scott Reid in the production Nightsleeper, created by BBC and Euston Films, with Mark Mainz as the photographer.
I might be inclined to suggest that you could appreciate this as a mindless train thriller, but honestly, what's the point? Although the series is visually appealing and occasionally showcases the exterior of the speeding train, the action scenes are far from the most thrilling you’ll encounter, whether in theaters or on television.
So what's the overall story that connects everything? Honestly, it's a bit of a jumble. The maker of Nightsleeper claims that the situation it presents could actually happen – and I trust that – but ultimately, it's the way it's delivered that makes it feel far from scary.
Nightsleeper is filled with common phrases and predictable plot developments. Many of you can probably easily predict how the story will unfold, as it follows several typical elements found in standard conspiracy thrillers, similar to those seen in ITV's Red Eye.
The two performances have more in common than just their travel themes; they also offer subtle nods to current global political issues, replacing references to China with those related to Iran in this case.
Additionally, if I have to listen to another geeky character spout off a bunch of technical jargon, only for their tech-averse friend to respond with, 'Could you say that in plain English?', I’m going to lose it.
Parth Thakerar and Alexandra Roach featured in Nightsleeper, produced by Euston Films with Mark Mainz for the BBC.
The storyline suffers because there are too many jokes, turning what could be a serious situation into more of a comedy-drama. It's hard to view the danger of the nightmare train as serious when even the characters on it keep cracking jokes. We might overlook this if the jokes were funny, but too often they're just irritating.
The cast of Nightsleeper puts in a solid effort despite the lackluster material. Cole and Roach make for charming leads, and their chemistry is especially noteworthy considering their interactions are limited to phone calls. The larger ensemble doesn’t have any glaring weak spots, but none of the performances are particularly standout either.
Ultimately, Nightsleeper comes across as a production that couldn't quite settle on its identity. It hints at being a cheeky action-comedy centered around a train set, has elements of a tense cyber thriller, and makes efforts to deliver powerful social critiques about political division and marginalization. The mix of these different styles creates an unusual blend, which might leave you uncertain about how to fully enjoy it.
You can watch Nightsleeper on BBC iPlayer. Catch it every Sunday and Monday at 9pm on BBC One. For more information, explore our Drama section or check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's currently airing.
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