Robin Williams slipping behind a mic to play a radio DJ might provoke hopes that he’ll be delivering another fine blast of improvised comedy, a la Good Morning Vietnam.
But The Night Listener is something quite different – we’re in the era of post-Oscar Williams and the plot is taken from an Armistead Maupin novel. So in place of motormouth verbal dexterity, we get a serious, frowning Robin as popular late-night radio host Gabriel Noone. He develops a strong relationship with young fan Pete (Rory Culkin), who spins tales of his adoptive mother (Toni Collette). But things soon turn troublesome, particularly when Gabriel goes to check out Pete’s family life.
If you like your thrillers psychological, check out the moody trailer here.