Director Ryan Prows on Night Patrol: Vampires, Cops, and LA’s Dark Side

January used to be the month studios dumped forgettable horror flicks, but that reputation has changed in recent years. Ryan Prows’ Night Patrol is a prime example—a daring, genre-bending film that stands out from the crowd. With Justin Long and Jermaine Clement leading a dynamic cast, the story centers on an LA police officer who uncovers a secretive task force within the LAPD, only to realize the real danger may be closer than he thinks.

Capturing Los Angeles: A City of Contrasts

Prows, who moved from Atlanta to LA for film school, describes his deep connection to the city.

“I’m from Atlanta originally and moved out here to go to film school, where I met all of my friends and colleagues that we all made Lowlife together, and then a lot of us went forward and made this as well. But growing up, like everybody, we just loved LA movies. And specifically for this movie, there’s almost like a subgenre of LA cop movies — LAPD movies and LA gang movies.”

He wanted to honor LA by making it a living, breathing character in the film. Shooting on location meant fewer shooting days, but the trade-off was working with top-notch local crews and a cast who could sleep in their own beds after long nights on set. Over time, LA became home for Prows and his family, fueling his desire to keep telling stories set in the city.

Influences from lesser-known LA films and TV shows like Domino, Rampart, and The Shield helped shape the movie’s visual style. Prows and his cinematographer, Ben Kitchens, paid special attention to the city’s unique light—both the natural glow of the sun through smog and the harsh LED lights of modern police cars and public housing. These elements became central to the film’s atmosphere, reflecting both the beauty and the grit of LA.

Building a Realistic World

Night Patrol stands out for its richly detailed world, grounded in the real-life communities of Los Angeles. Prows spent years developing the script, working closely with community leaders in Watts and South Central, as well as current and former gang members.

“Skip Townsend, who does peace work with a nonprofit called Second Call, and Taco and Twin with Ceasefire — they were very generous with their time and introducing us to people. And I was pitching the movie and people were reading the script, and all the way down to once we got the actors in, we were able to introduce them around and get their questions answered and interview folks. So that was a really big, important piece to it from the jump.”

Authenticity was key, and even rapper YG, who served as an executive producer, helped name the fictional gangs and neighborhoods, ensuring the film’s world felt both original and true to life.

Prows believes that horror is uniquely suited to exploring complex social issues.

“Horror is, no matter what, political and social from the jump, which is one of my big pluses to the whole thing and why we wanted to do it and make a horror film as well. You can tackle these bigger issues, but it can still be fun, and it won’t feel like you’re watching someone soapbox to you or just sitting there and lecturing you or whatever.”

He wanted the film to spark conversation without feeling preachy, balancing heavy themes with moments of levity and excitement.

Genre, Structure, and Social Commentary

Night Patrol uses a multi-character ensemble structure, allowing the story to unfold from different perspectives. Prows finds this approach exciting because it lets the audience see the world’s horrors from multiple angles, making the narrative more authentic and unpredictable.

“That’s a lot of the fun of it is just watching people exist. The characters exist as the engine is cranking, and it’s getting more and more tense. They’re just trying to exist, so I think that, on a larger scale of Weapons or these types of films, you want to see collective new sorts of pockets of different communities and cultures collide.”

The film doesn’t shy away from controversial topics, especially the fraught relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Prows approached this subject head-on, aiming to present it honestly without resorting to easy answers or caricatures.

“It’s not like people aren’t talking about it, and I don’t think our little movie is running with the flag of it, but it was really important for us to pretty plainly lay all of that out. The movie, I think, doesn’t pull any punches or hide what it’s about or what we’re bringing up.”

He hopes the film encourages viewers to keep the conversation going long after the credits roll.

Innovative Visuals and Horror Elements

Prows and his team experimented with camera and editing techniques to give Night Patrol a fresh look, including scenes that use negative color to signal shifts in perspective. He drew inspiration from African folklore for some of the vampire traits, like metal fangs, while sticking to classic rules for others.

“That’s a long-winded way of saying it was a cool, fun challenge to me of, ‘How do we put something on screen, technically, emotionally, and everything that you haven’t seen with such a well-worn monster, vampire tropes and everything, but still make it our own and make it feel fresh and a cool approach to it?’”

When it comes to gore, Prows prefers to build tension with brief, shocking bursts early on, saving the full-on carnage for the finale. This pacing keeps the audience on edge and invested in the characters’ fates.

“You have to introduce very awful, sort of insurmountable stakes and then keep ratcheting it up, and that helps with the tension of the whole piece and feelings of helplessness and that our characters are never ready to get through this. Then, hopefully, there’s some ray of light or sunshine at the end with how low and awful we’ve made things and taken it as far as we can go with it.”

Night Patrol hits theaters January 15, promising a wild ride through the shadows of Los Angeles.