GROSS JUDGEMENT FOR "THE NIGHT CLERK" (Spoilers)

Don't let the Netflix synopsis fool you. This film is NOT a mystery or thriller. It is a drama from top to bottom. The disappointment of this deception nearly led me to shut off the film and move one to other cringe-worthy Netflix films. The only reason I continued watching is because of how deeply the story resonated with me.

Bart Bromley, an autistic young man, works as a night clerk for a small hotel chain in his desperate pursuit of self-improvement. The job helps him practice his social skills. He wants more than anything to acclimate with the world. To be treated like an equal. To find love and acceptance.

However, he crosses the line through the illegal act of privacy invasion. In his attempt to learn human behavior, he bugs the rooms of his customers to study their behavior. Though his intentions are innocent, Bromley knows that surveying people without their knowledge is wrong. Otherwise, he wouldn't go to extreme length to hide the recordings.

Even when he faces murder charges, he battles the temptation to surrender his video footage. A murder occurs in his hotel, and he is fortunate to capture the crime on video. The suspect flees; his coworker finds him sitting over the body covered in the victim's blood. What are the police supposed to believe, especially when he is diagnosed with a disorder known for violent outbursts? The odds are not in his favor. The detective on the case becomes fixated on him. This so-called detective only sees an easy suspect. Desperate for a confession, he harasses the frightened and confused young man. All he gets is the angry retort from a supportive, protective mother.

Detective Espada is not the only person determined to blame him for the crime. The perpetrator and his girlfriend develop an elaborate plan to steal the incriminating video before the truth comes out. Andrea Rivera, the mistress of a married man, checks into the hotel hoping to manipulate the video out of him. Instead, he teaches her a valuable lesson about her relationship with a cheating, entitled sociopath.

Love is an addiction. He's partially correct. Romance, drama, and attention are addictive. Addictions are very dangerous. This is her relationship. Love, on the other hand, is unconditional and selfless. Love does not lead to infidelity or murder. Andrea is addicted. Her boyfriend murders. Bromley loves unconditionally. Yet, so few people love him in return.

Instead, people underestimate his intelligence. Everyone except his boss and mother. They stand by him through thick and thin. Everyone else sees him as an easy target, but they fail to realize that he is smarter than all of them. He is, after all, the only one who knows the identity of the killer. He has the evidence.

The real question is whether he would risk everything to turn in the video. Innocent of murder. Guilty of privacy invasion. How would it affect his desire to live a normal life?