Justin Long’s Horror Night Patrol Sinks Its Teeth Into the Final Trailer

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As a huge horror fan, I’ve always thought Justin Long was seriously underrated – he’s really proven himself as a ‘scream king’ across so many different types of scary movies. And his next role? It sounds amazing! He’s going to be starring in a horror film that’s a cop thriller… with vampires! Seriously, what’s not to love?

The new vampire horror film, Night Patrol, premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 19th and then at Beyond Fest on September 28th, receiving positive feedback for its thoughtful themes. Now, Shudder and RLJE Films have released the final trailer, available below, before the film hits theaters on January 16th.

The new trailer opens with Justin Long, playing Officer Hawkins, reminiscing about his childhood dream of becoming a police officer, calling it “the coolest thing.” We then see him enjoying his work and joking around with his partner, Carr.

The character explains that their group is now viewed negatively, despite most members being good people – with a few exceptions. The trailer then cuts to a scene of a police officer using excessive force during a night shift, highlighting issues of police brutality.

In the scene, Hawkins expresses a desire to become part of the Night Patrol, believing they’re unique. He soon discovers – and becomes – one of them, learning that the Patrol is made up of vampire police officers.

A man needs to overcome his rivalry with local gangs when he uncovers a disturbing secret within the police force – a secret that threatens the community where he was raised.

Ryan Prows, known for directing V/H/S/94, directed and co-wrote the horror thriller Night Patrol. He collaborated on the script with Shaye Ogbonna (known for Fight Night), Tim Cairo (Off Ramp), and Jake Gibson (He Bled Neon). The film, a vampire cop thriller, stars alongside Long, Jermaine Fowler, RJ Cyler (Power Rangers), Dermot Mulroney (Scream VI), Freddie Gibbs (Down With the King), YG (White Boy Rick), Flying Lotus (Ash), Jon Oswald (Lowlife), Nicki Micheaux (Lowlife), and professional wrestler CM Punk.

Filming finished in October 2024, and director Prows said then that the movie is more intense than people might expect. He described making the film with this cast and crew, on location in Los Angeles, after years of work, as a dream come true.

Night Patrol Is Off to an Encouraging Start

The film premiered at Fantastic Fest in 2025 and has received a small number of reviews so far. While Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t have an official critic score yet – with only six reviews counted – most (four out of six) have been positive. Critics have pointed out that the film shares similarities with this year’s hit horror movie, Sinners, and evokes the style of films like the 1988 classic, Colors.

Brian Tallerico from RogerEbert.com gave high praise to the upcoming film Night Patrol, calling it a unique and bold project that could generate significant excitement for IFC at the beginning of 2026. He described it as a daring genre film with a compelling concept.

Trace Thurman of Bloody Disgusting pointed out that while Night Patrol doesn’t fully explore its ideas by the end, strong performances from the actors and impressive filmmaking by Prows help make it a worthwhile watch. Steven Prokopy from Third Coast Review also praised the film, calling it a bold and intense horror movie with sharp social commentary.

One of the negative reviews, from Zachary Lee at Dread Central, points out that the film struggles to balance its serious themes with its attempts to be thrilling. However, Lee also praises the film’s strong ideas, the dedicated performances of RJ Cyler and Nicki Micheaux, and the atmospheric, gritty cinematography by Benjamin Kitchens, which he says elevates even simple shots.

Night Patrol will premiere in theaters on Jan. 16, 2026.

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2025-11-17 18:38