How THE NIGHT AGENT Reflects a Cultural Crisis of Trust in the United States
By Allen Rushing, Movieguide® Contributor
The new Netflix series, THE NIGHT AGENT, which debuted March 23, 2023, brings a conspiratorial story to American audiences which strongly reflects the present U.S. cultural moment.
“May you live in interesting times” a famous and ominous saying proclaims. It aptly describes the present day experience of a multitude of Americans for whom many venerable U.S. institutions now seem as ominous as the above mentioned expression. An escalating culture war, global and national political upheaval, and inflation approaching that of the ‘70s malaise, are just three examples of how “interesting” life has become in 2020s America.
This state of affairs has led to a crisis of trust in the institutions – church, industry, fellow men and women, and (perhaps most strongly) government – which has led many an American to question in what, if anything, they can safely put their trust.
This crisis of trust is mirrored in THE NIGHT AGENT in which Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), a low level FBI agent, and Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan), a woman whose only living relatives were murdered and whose life was saved by Peter. Assigned to protect her, Peter learns from Rose that her relatives told her that someone in the U.S. government is not to be trusted. When assassins come after Rose, Peter is assigned as her protector and the two delve into a hidden narrative of governmental corruption that goes all the way up to the White House and affects both their lives deeply.
Rose, whose last living family was murdered while discussing the fact that “U.S. government is compromised on the highest levels” in her hearing, refuses to speak openly to White House staff when brought in by Sutherland. Her position is unenviable: “I don’t know who I can trust….I’m not telling them the truth, not if it can get me killed”. But she reasons, “I have to trust someone, right?” and decides to trust Peter, an upright man trying to do his job and keep Rose safe, whose own uneasy relationship and troubled past with U.S. government makes him feel unclear on how to proceed regarding his responsibility. Yet, after risking his life multiple times fighting off many attempts on Rose’s life, he comes to see the wisdom of her reticence to show her hand to those claiming to have her safety at heart. Eventually, revelation upon revelation pointing to the reality of a governmental conspiracy that involves Rose’s assassination but reaches far beyond it, Peter has to admit that his faith, specifically in the institution of the U.S. government, has been shattered. This paradigm shift is clearly stated when, in conversation with Rose as the two are hunted by the very officials they elected and trusted in, he says: “My dad, he always had faith in the institution, you know? Taught me to believe in due process, innocent until proven guilty, and I just, thought maybe, if I kept that faith….” Trailing off into a painful silence, he concludes: “I’m (so) naive”.
The series is a powerful snapshot of the cultural crisis of trust which many Americans have been feeling for years and continue to feel today. Regardless of how the series ends, the point is strongly and unambiguously made: Americans’ trust in their government is exceedingly low.
As cinema, and all artistic work, expresses something about the time, place, and experience of the human being who produced it, it would seem that THE NIGHT AGENT is strongly expressing the sentiments of a myriad of Americans that, as Rose Larkin says: “The country is in trouble” because “we don’t know who we can trust in [government]”.
The success of this series not only means it will be returning with more conspiratorial twists and turns to enthrall audiences, but also shows that its story is touching a cultural nerve.
As Nellie Andreeva reported for Deadline in a March 29, 2023 article:
That was quick — a day after Netflix unveiled record opening weekend viewership for The Night Agent, the streamer announced that it has picked up a 10-episode second season of the political conspiracy action-thriller series from creator Shawn Ryan and Sony Pictures Television. This marks one of the fastest renewal decisions for Netflix, which typically waits for data on a series’ 28-day performance before pulling the trigger.
Thankfully, Christians know not to “put [their] trust in princes” (Psalm 146:3), to trust in the Lord God alone, and to pray to Him to raise up leaders who will punish evil and promote the good (I Peter 2:13-14) But the proliferation of shows like THE NIGHT AGENT points out to its viewers that, there is an atmosphere of mistrust in our culture today. The question is, how can we as Christians help people to put their trust in the True King?
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
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Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
