After Hours Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A dude goes downtown for some sexy times but ends up in a plaster cast, proving that sometimes staying home with a book is the real adventure.

🍿 After Hours: Detailed Plot Synopsis

The Setup: A Chance Encounter

Paul Hackett, a bored word processor in New York City, meets Marcy in a coffee shop. They connect over their shared interest in Henry Miller’s ‘Tropic of Cancer,’ and Marcy gives Paul her number, inviting him to visit her in SoHo where she’s staying with a friend. Paul, feeling adventurous, decides to call her late that night, setting the stage for a night he’ll never forget.

Descent into Soho: Losing Control

Paul’s journey to SoHo immediately goes awry. In a speeding taxi, he loses his only twenty-dollar bill, leaving him without enough money to pay the fare. This sets off a chain of increasingly bizarre and unfortunate events as he tries to navigate the unfamiliar and chaotic world of downtown Manhattan after dark. He meets Kiki, Marcy’s eccentric roommate and a sculptress, and gets caught up in their strange artistic lifestyle.

A Night of Misadventures: No Way Home

As Paul tries to get home, he encounters a series of odd characters and escalating situations. He meets Julie, a waitress with a strange obsession, gets mistaken for a burglar, and finds himself hunted by a vigilante mob. Each attempt to escape only leads to more problems, trapping him deeper in the surreal and dangerous landscape of nighttime SoHo. He witnesses a murder and becomes a suspect, making his escape all the more urgent.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne): An ordinary word processor who experiences a nightmarish series of events while trying to get home after a date in SoHo.
• Marcy (Rosanna Arquette): A quirky and troubled woman Paul meets in a coffee shop, leading him into a chaotic night.
• Julie (Teri Garr): An eccentric waitress who becomes fixated on Paul, adding to his increasingly bizarre night.
• Gail (Catherine O’Hara): An ice cream truck driver who joins the vigilante mob pursuing Paul, escalating his troubles.
• Tom the Bartender (John Heard): A seemingly helpful bartender who inadvertently makes Paul’s night even worse.
• Kiki (Linda Fiorentino): A bohemian sculptress and Marcy’s roommate, whose loft becomes the starting point of Paul’s ordeal.
• June (Verna Bloom): A kind club worker and sculptress who helps Paul hide from the mob, but ultimately encases him in plaster.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Paul: “I just wanna go home.” – Paul says this repeatedly as his night spirals out of control, highlighting his desperation.
• Waiter: “Different rules apply when it gets this late, you know what I mean? It’s like… after hours.” – The waiter says this to Paul in the diner, foreshadowing the bizarre events to come.
• Paul: “I’ll probably get blamed for that.” – Said after witnessing a murder from a fire escape, illustrating his growing paranoia.
• Paul: “I just wanted to leave my apartment, maybe meet a nice girl, and now I gotta die for it?!” – Paul exclaims this during a monologue, expressing the absurdity of his situation.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $4,500,000
• Domestic Gross: $10,609,321
• Worldwide Gross: $10,629,668

💥 After Hours Reviews

Personal Review

I remember watching ‘After Hours’ late one night and feeling like I was having a fever dream. The way Paul’s night just spirals out of control is both hilarious and terrifying. The scene with the ice cream truck is burned into my memory – pure genius! This movie is a wild ride and a perfect example of Scorsese pushing boundaries.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of dark comedies”
  • “Martin Scorsese enthusiasts”
  • “Viewers interested in surreal and suspenseful films”
  • “Those who appreciate unique and offbeat stories”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Language”
  • “Brief Female Nudity”
  • “Violence”
  • “Suicide”
  • “Drug Use”
  • “Paranoia”

Professional Reviews

• The New York Times: “Scorsese delivers a darkly comic masterpiece, a relentless, anxiety-ridden journey through a surreal Soho night. Griffin Dunne’s performance is a revelation, capturing the everyman’s descent into urban madness with perfect pitch. A must-see for those who appreciate cinema at its most inventive and unsettling.
• RogerEbert.com: “After Hours is a brilliant exercise in paranoia and urban alienation. Scorsese’s direction is masterful, creating a palpable sense of dread and unease. The film’s dark humor is both unsettling and hilarious, making it a truly unique and unforgettable cinematic experience.
• Variety: “This black comedy from Scorsese is a wild ride through a bizarre and dangerous world. Griffin Dunne’s performance is outstanding, and the film’s unique atmosphere and unpredictable plot make it a cult classic.

Audience Reactions

The film’s quirky characters and unexpected plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.: Viewers praise the film’s originality, Griffin Dunne’s performance, and Scorsese’s masterful direction.

The ending was perfect, bringing everything full circle in a way that was both satisfying and unsettling.: Many appreciate the dark humor and the film’s ability to create a sense of urban paranoia.

Overall Consensus: A cult classic known for its dark humor, surreal atmosphere, and Griffin Dunne’s memorable performance.

Awards

1. Independent Spirit Awards (Best Feature)- 1986
2. Cannes Film Festival (Best Director)- 1986

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Martin Scorsese took over directing duties from Tim Burton, who was initially attached to the project.”
• “The film’s script was originally a Columbia University thesis by Joseph Minion.”
• “Scorsese has stated that making ‘After Hours’ helped him rediscover his love for filmmaking after a period of frustration.”
• “To achieve the film’s frenetic pace, Scorsese employed many of the same editing techniques he would later use in ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘Casino’.”

🖥️ How to Watch After Hours?

After Hours is available to rent or purchase on various platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play Movies. Check your local listings for cable on-demand options. Unfortunately, it is not currently available on subscription-based streaming services like Netflix or Hulu.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed After Hours, you might like these similar films:

• Brazil (1985): Shares a similar Kafkaesque nightmare scenario where an ordinary man is overwhelmed by bizarre circumstances.
• The King of Comedy (1982): Also directed by Scorsese, explores themes of desperation and social awkwardness in a darkly comedic way.
• Following (1998): A low-budget neo-noir film that has the same eerie atmosphere, mistaken identity theme, and sense of paranoia.
• Uncut Gems (2019): A modern anxiety-inducing thriller set in New York City where a man’s life spirals out of control due to a series of bad decisions and escalating circumstances.

🛒 After Hours Related Products

• After Hours (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]: A pristine, high-definition transfer of the film, featuring exclusive bonus content, including interviews with the cast and crew and behind-the-scenes footage. It is a must-have for serious film collectors.
• New York City Movie Locations: A comprehensive guide to iconic filming spots: This book details iconic locations and interesting facts from After Hours and similar movies. This enhances movie experience and exploration.
• The Scream Munch Painting Poster: A high-quality print of Edvard Munch’s iconic painting ‘The Scream,’ famously referenced in the film’s paper-mache sculpture scene. A perfect addition to any film buff’s collection, capturing the essence of the film’s surreal and unsettling atmosphere.
• Kafka on the Shore: Experience a surreal and philosophical journey by one of today’s most acclaimed authors.

🎧 Soundtrack

After Hours features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Symphony No. 45 in F-Sharp Minor, Hob. I:45, ‘Farewell’: IV. Finale: Presto – Allegro assai” – performed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• “Pay To Cum” – performed by Bad Brains

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

The Story of After Hours | The Weeknd Music Videos Explained

Dive into the world of The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours’ music videos and discover the hidden meanings behind their captivating visuals and lyrics. From ‘In Your Eyes’ to the ‘After Hours’ short film, this analysis will leave you amazed.

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