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suzannnn 's review for:
Night Film
by Marisha Pessl
A while ago I found a copy of this secondhand, so I decided to read it again after reading it for the first time in 2020. Back then I loved it, and I had a great time reading it a second time.
The story is about investigative journalist Scott McGrath, who saw his career ruined after making some serious accusations against the infamous and reclusive horror filmmaker Stanislas Cordova. Since then, he hasn’t written anything and his wife has left him. When Cordova’s 24-year-old daughter Ashley dies of an apparent suicide, Scott is thrown back into his search for Cordova, convinced that he is hiding some disturbing secrets. He goes down a dark and endless rabbit hole, that has him questioning what is real, bringing himself into a dangerous place.
I really love this one, the mystery about Cordova is very interesting. Throughout the book we learn a lot about his life and his work, the main characters meet a lot of people who are in some way connected to Cordova, and they all have different stories to tell about him. Some revere him, others are scared of him. It is hard to tell which stories are true, and which aren’t. Every time you think you know something, there is another story that changes everything. I really appreciated the added articles, web pages and documents in the book, they add to the atmosphere of the story, making it feel more authentic. The amount of detail that goes into Cordova’s life and the descriptions of his movies is great, I wish I could actually watch his movies, they sound so interesting!
I like the characters as well, it’s easy to get attached to the main characters. Scott is complicated, he can definitely be an ass. He’ll do pretty much anything for a story, and makes some rash decisions. He is absolutely obsessed with Cordova, and it’s easy to see why. Part of it is that Cordova destroyed his career, but he is also convinced that Cordova is hiding a dark secret and wants to know the truth. I loved both Nora and Hopper, I found the two of them very likable, and I love the friendship that is developed between the three of them. The Cordova’s are also very interesting, we learn that Ashley was just as magnetic and mysterious as her father.
While I wouldn’t call it horror, there are definitely some haunting elements to the story. The characters get into the world of curses and witchcraft, visit some dangerous places, including a risky trip to Cordova’s mansion, which I found very memorable the last time I read it. There are times when it seems like something supernatural is happening, but a lot of it is left open to interpretation. If I had to name any negatives about the book I’d say that after a certain point in the story the book takes just a bit too long to end for me. I was also wondering at times where Scott got his money from, he’s paying off people left and right throughout the story, but he’s also at rock bottom career-wise. I guess he still has enough savings? But these are just small things to me that didn’t have much impact on my enjoyment of the story.
I had a great time reading this again. It is a mystery that keeps me engaged until the end, a dark world that keeps you intrigued. I like how in the end it leaves a lot up to the reader’s interpretation. I’m glad to have this book on my shelf now, it definitely won’t be the last time I read this. Furthermore, I also really enjoyed Pessl’s book [b:Special Topics in Calamity Physics|3483|Special Topics in Calamity Physics|Marisha Pessl|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442699779l/3483._SY75_.jpg|910619], and I’m looking forward to anything she releases in the future (hopefully soon!).
The story is about investigative journalist Scott McGrath, who saw his career ruined after making some serious accusations against the infamous and reclusive horror filmmaker Stanislas Cordova. Since then, he hasn’t written anything and his wife has left him. When Cordova’s 24-year-old daughter Ashley dies of an apparent suicide, Scott is thrown back into his search for Cordova, convinced that he is hiding some disturbing secrets. He goes down a dark and endless rabbit hole, that has him questioning what is real, bringing himself into a dangerous place.
I really love this one, the mystery about Cordova is very interesting. Throughout the book we learn a lot about his life and his work, the main characters meet a lot of people who are in some way connected to Cordova, and they all have different stories to tell about him. Some revere him, others are scared of him. It is hard to tell which stories are true, and which aren’t. Every time you think you know something, there is another story that changes everything. I really appreciated the added articles, web pages and documents in the book, they add to the atmosphere of the story, making it feel more authentic. The amount of detail that goes into Cordova’s life and the descriptions of his movies is great, I wish I could actually watch his movies, they sound so interesting!
I like the characters as well, it’s easy to get attached to the main characters. Scott is complicated, he can definitely be an ass. He’ll do pretty much anything for a story, and makes some rash decisions. He is absolutely obsessed with Cordova, and it’s easy to see why. Part of it is that Cordova destroyed his career, but he is also convinced that Cordova is hiding a dark secret and wants to know the truth. I loved both Nora and Hopper, I found the two of them very likable, and I love the friendship that is developed between the three of them. The Cordova’s are also very interesting, we learn that Ashley was just as magnetic and mysterious as her father.
While I wouldn’t call it horror, there are definitely some haunting elements to the story. The characters get into the world of curses and witchcraft, visit some dangerous places, including a risky trip to Cordova’s mansion, which I found very memorable the last time I read it. There are times when it seems like something supernatural is happening, but a lot of it is left open to interpretation. If I had to name any negatives about the book I’d say that after a certain point in the story
Spoiler
, in particular after Scott visits Inez Gallo,I had a great time reading this again. It is a mystery that keeps me engaged until the end, a dark world that keeps you intrigued. I like how in the end it leaves a lot up to the reader’s interpretation. I’m glad to have this book on my shelf now, it definitely won’t be the last time I read this. Furthermore, I also really enjoyed Pessl’s book [b:Special Topics in Calamity Physics|3483|Special Topics in Calamity Physics|Marisha Pessl|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442699779l/3483._SY75_.jpg|910619], and I’m looking forward to anything she releases in the future (hopefully soon!).