Long Nights Short Mornings (2016)

Long Nights Short Mornings feels special because it captures modern dating with a clear-eyed intimacy that most romances either sanitize or turn into punchlines. Set against the restless hum of New York City, it drifts through encounters that can be fleeting, messy, tender, and unexpectedly revealing, letting the vibe stay raw and lived-in rather than neatly packaged. The performances sell that honesty—quiet looks, awkward pauses, and small confessions carry as much weight as any big romantic gesture—so you’re not watching “types,” you’re watching people. It’s a sophisticated indie mood piece that lingers after the credits, though if you want a tidy love story with easy answers, this one is more interested in the questions.

Long Nights Short Mornings is clearly aiming for an intimate, slice-of-life look at modern dating in New York, drifting through encounters that are meant to feel raw and emotionally revealing. The problem is it often comes off more like meandering vignettes than a story, with dialogue and performances that can feel undercooked and a central guy who’s hard to invest in because he’s frequently blank, self-absorbed, or just plain tedious. If you need a strong plot, a protagonist with growth, or romance that feels earned rather than contrived, this will likely test your patience. That said, if you’re in the mood for a low-key, mood-driven film and can tolerate a purposely shallow lead as part of the point, you might find a few moments that ring true.