Skip to content
MovieCove
The Night Of

The Night Of

What happened...

2016Miniseries1 season8 episodes~60 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

After a night of partying with a female stranger, a man wakes up to find her stabbed to death and is charged with her murder.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Night Of?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Night Of streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about The Night Of?

The Night Of earns 10 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of shows.

Show 2 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is The Night Of worth watching?

The Night Of's Midcredits score is the 97th percentile of all shows, from 203K ratings across 2 sources. 94% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

97th percentile

Better received than 97% of shows

97th percentile among Crime97th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)93rd
Approval (how many liked it)98th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

83 /100

93rd percentile of all shows

95th percentile among Crime93rd percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

94% liked it

98th percentile of all shows

97th percentile among Crime98th percentile among 2010s
94% rated it 7–106% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

98th percentile

202K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Crime98th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26

What reviewers say

Common ground

The show is a deliberately paced, character-driven drama that prioritizes atmosphere and realism over action or neat answers.

Fans praised

  • John Turturro's layered, humane performance as the flawed lawyer
  • Gripping slow-burn storytelling that builds tension through realism
  • Raw, unflinching look at the justice system's flaws and prison's dehumanizing effect

Detractors panned

  • Glaring plot hole: no blood on Naz despite a bloody crime scene
  • Slow, padded pacing with pointless subplots (eczema, cat)
  • Unsatisfying, ambiguous ending with no clear resolution

What stands out

Acting88

Exceptional cast, especially Turturro and Ahmed

AtmosphereDivisive88

Dark, oppressive mood of New York night and prison

TensionDivisive82

Suspenseful and anxiety-inducing, especially in early episodes

CharactersDivisive80

Rich, layered characters with believable motivations and arcs

Emotional impactDivisive78

Devastating portrayal of a life ruined by accusation

Plot and storyDivisive60

Simple premise stretched thin; polarizing for logical gaps and pacing

PacingDivisive55

Deliberate slow burn; some find it gripping, others tedious

EndingDivisive40

Divisive; some find it fittingly ambiguous, others anticlimactic

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 10 points higher than under-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 15 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Episodes

1 season

Miniseries · 2016 · 8 episodes · 8.2 average across 8 rated episodes

  • S1E1

    Part 1: The Beach

    Jul 10, 201679 minTMDB rating 8.6Season best
  • S1E2

    Part 2: Subtle Beast

    Jul 17, 201660 minTMDB rating 8.3
  • S1E3

    Part 3: A Dark Crate

    Jul 24, 201660 minTMDB rating 7.8
  • S1E4

    Part 4: The Art of War

    Jul 31, 201660 minTMDB rating 8.1
  • S1E5

    Part 5: The Season of the Witch

    Aug 7, 201660 minTMDB rating 8.1
  • S1E6

    Part 6: Samson and Delilah

    Aug 14, 201658 minTMDB rating 7.8
  • S1E7

    Part 7: Ordinary Death

    Aug 21, 201657 minTMDB rating 8.5
  • S1E8

    Part 8: The Call of the Wild

    Aug 28, 201696 minTMDB rating 8.5Finale

Watch experience

What is The Night Of like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — a relentless watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseDreadMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Bleak · 3% of showsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe series treats its subject with grim realism, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe series maintains a tight, anxious pressure that builds toward the trial and verdict, with the emotional weight landing hardest in the final episodes.
StructureThe story unfolds in chronological order across eight episodes, following Naz from arrest through trial.
Episode formatThe entire series tells one continuous story from arrest through investigation, trial, and aftermath, with no episodic cases.
Season formatThe series is a complete, finite story told in one season.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe series stays with you as a meditation on the justice system and uncertainty of truth.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryEnigma
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1% (this title)
  • No archetype 40%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

8% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe series centers on the question of what really happened the night a woman is murdered, with Naz's guilt or innocence left ambiguous throughout.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11% (this title): Justice 14% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% (this title) · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 14% of showsIdentityPrejudice · 2% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores whether the legal system finds the truth or merely confirms biases, and how a single night reshapes a young man's identity.
StanceThe series questions whether the justice system delivers truth or merely performs a process, focusing on one young man caught in it.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score
SettingNew York City's legal system and prison world

Content guide

Is The Night Of okay for kids?

TV-MA

The Night Of is rated TV-MA. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (84/100), sexual content at intense (70/100), language at intense (65/100), drug and alcohol content at severe (85/100) and frightening material at moderate (58/100). Overall it is heavier than 81% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 27 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany18
  • France18
  • Ireland15
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • Austria16
  • Belgium16
  • Czechia18+
  • FinlandK16
  • Hungary18
  • ItalyVM12
  • MexicoB-15
  • MY18
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland18
  • PortugalNR
  • RO18
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeM18
  • Spain18
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Switzerland18
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 90% of all showsHeavier than 81% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 76%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 80%
Profanity
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 44%
Alcohol & Drugs
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 91%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 48%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: drug and alcohol content, violence, sexual content, and language. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does The Night Of have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Night Of?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

John Turturro
as John Stone
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Riz Ahmed
as Nasir 'Naz' Khan
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Bill Camp
as Detective Sergeant Dennis Box
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Payman Maadi
as Salim Khan
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Jeannie Berlin
as District Attorney Helen Weiss
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Poorna Jagannathan
as Safar Khan
Michael Kenneth Williams
as Freddy Knight
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Amara Karan
as Chandra Kapoor
Paul Sparks
as Don Taylor
Syam M. Lafi
as Hasan Khan

More like this

What are shows like The Night Of?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like The Night Of include I Will Find You (2026), Full Circle (2023) and Damages (2007).

Like this, but

Explore by

What other shows share a tag with The Night Of?

131 other shows share the rarest tag below, kind of show: courtroom drama. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.