Night Raiders

“Night Raiders” is a tense sci-fi thriller that explores modern-day issues but fizzles on its execution.

Writer/director Danis Goulet’s “Night Raiders” is a tense sci-fi thriller that explores modern-day issues but fizzles on execution. It works well when the film works, but its slow pace undermines the power that lies just below the surface.

Niska (Elle-Maija Tailfeathers) and her daughter Waseese (Brooklyn Letexier-Hart) have lived in the wilderness since civil war has ripped their country apart. Children are the property of the government and will do anything to keep Waseese safe. But when Waseese is injured, Niska must venture out of their safe zone to find help and face what she has feared for so long – her daughter being taken from her and entered into the Academy.

Realizing that Waseese needs more help than she can provide, Niska makes the heart-wrenching decision to voluntarily give up her daughter so her injury can be treated. The military will take her to the Academy giving her a shot at living a better life much like her friend Roberta’s (Amanda Plummer) son Pierre who’s now a spokesperson.

In the proceeding 10 months, Niska is haunted by her decision and visits the outside of the Academy to be near her daughter. One night she witnesses what she thinks are people stealing children from the Academy, but soon realizes they are liberators called the Night Raiders, a group of displaced indigenous people fighting to retain their way of life.

An elder has a vision that tells of a visitor from the north, the Guardian, who will lead the children of the camp to a fabled safe zone called Big Stone and they believe Niska to be this person. They agree to free Waseese before the journey, but the government is now at the doorstep of the camp, and they’ve run out of time.

As the armed military and its squadron of drones converge on the camp and its inhabitants ready for battle, the Guardian’s true power is revealed, and both the Guardian and her power are not what anyone expected.

“Night Raiders” was a mixed bag for me. I found Tailfeather’s performance wonderfully heartbreaking at times and its depiction of the Cree community’s fight to preserve its way of life powerful. Letexier-Hart was equally powerful with minimal lines of dialogue, but her performance had a good blend of mystery and understatement. The film’s bleak shot selection perfectly set up the world we’re tossed into as well.

However, much of the movie was a sludge for me. There was a lot of hinting at things, but nothing more. We hear of how bad the new government is, but visually we don’t see much. Sure, people are living in squalor, but why are they living that way? They talk about how terrible the Academy is for the children, but only a few scenes inside the walls of the facility. Show me more, tell me less. It would have been nice to have a better balance between the two worlds to help build the tension and make the desperation of those trying to get children out more convincing.

“Night Raiders” has the potential to be a powerful tale, but it’s too easy to get lost in its slower moments.