--- title: "The Night Of: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/the-night-of/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/the-night-of" critics_score: 83 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Night Of (2016): what the critics said Critics' score 83 from 8 reviews: 8 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are warm across the board. Most critics describe a series that starts as a murder mystery and becomes something else: a slow, detailed account of how the justice system grinds people down, and how chance and prejudice decide who gets convicted. Praise gathers on the writing of Richard Price and Steven Zaillian, on a New York setting several find immersive enough to forgive the plot its gaps, and on two performances: Riz Ahmed as the accused and John Turturro as the eczema-afflicted defence lawyer. Where they part is over pace. Collider finds it a slog in places, and Paste, the coolest of the eight, thinks the female characters are thin and the handling of race uneven, while admiring how ordinary the Pakistani-American family at its centre is allowed to be. Variety notes holes in the central mystery and does not much mind. The spread is narrow: nobody dislikes it, and the only argument is how much patience it earns. ## Variety — Sonia Saraiya Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 8 July 2016. The critic calls the series compulsively watchable and extraordinarily rewarding, a brilliant and addictive mystery. They single out the precise, immersive atmosphere and richly detailed New York setting that draws viewers in despite the gaps in the central mystery. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/tv/reviews/tv-review-the-night-of-hbo-john-turturro-1201810455/) ## The Guardian — Lucy Mangan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 September 2016. The HBO series excels as it shifts from procedural crime drama to a deeper exploration of the randomness of justice, boosted by post-9/11 prejudices and a strong adaptation of the original. It features a hypnotic performance from Riz Ahmed as the accused and excellent work from John Turturro as the defence lawyer. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/sep/01/the-night-of-riz-ahmed-hbo-murder-drama) ## Vulture — Matt Zoller Seitz Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2016. The series unfolds like a fat crime novel, hypnotic and engrossing as it explores the criminal justice system through precise procedural details and memorable characters. Seitz praises the writing by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian for its atmospheric depth and the way it treats guilt as a MacGuffin. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2016/06/tv-review-the-night-of.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 6 July 2016. The critic describes an atmospheric HBO crime drama with a strong opener and deep ensemble cast. They single out the ambitious portrayal of the criminal justice system and the weighty, detailed direction and performances that keep viewers invested. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/night-tv-review-908630/) ## The Telegraph Rating 4/5. 2 September 2016. The series is a glorious puzzle box that starts as a murder mystery but reveals itself as something smarter and more provocative, with echoes of true-crime hits like Making a Murderer. It is a show to lose yourself in and obsess over endlessly. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/09/02/why-the-night-of-is-tv-to-obsess-over---review/) ## Den of Geek — Tony Sokol Rating 4.5/5. 11 July 2016. The premiere is a strong start for prestige television, a suspenseful thriller that draws viewers in with its dark tone and layered characters. Sokol singles out the performances of Riz Ahmed and John Turturro as a solid center for the ensemble. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-night-of-premiere-review-the-beach/) ## Collider — Allison Keene Rating ★★★★. 7 July 2016. The critic praises the series as a gritty, deliberate legal procedural that effectively highlights the flaws and bureaucracy of the justice system through its focus on procedure and Turturro's standout performance as the eczema-afflicted lawyer. It notes some issues with pacing, making it feel like a slog at times, and weaknesses in certain character portrayals. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-night-of-review-hbo/) ## Paste — Brogan Morris Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2016. The piece acknowledges the show's flaws in pacing, female characters, and some handling of race but highlights its success in humanizing an everyday Pakistani-American Muslim family and challenging Islamophobia by making the lead relatable and ordinary rather than stereotypical. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/the-night-of/in-spite-of-its-flaws-the-night-of-still-gave-us-a) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/the-night-of.md