[INTERVIEW]: "NIGHT PATROL" Sinks Its Teeth In: Cast and Director Ryan Prows Break Down a Bold New Take on Vampire Horror

Some films wear their influences proudly. Others weaponize them. Night Patrol, the latest genre-bending vampire thriller from director Ryan Prows, does both. Drawing inspiration from gritty street-level dramas and classic vampire mythology, Night Patrol feels like End of Watch colliding with Colors and The Lost Boys, creating something familiar, ferocious, and entirely its own.

During our recent conversation with the cast and filmmaker, it became clear that Night Patrol is not just another vampire movie. Starring Jermaine Fowler, Freddie Gibbs, RJ Cyler, and Nicki Micheaux, the film blends horror, action, and social tension into a blood-soaked pressure cooker. While the laughs and scares come fast, there’s an undercurrent of commentary running beneath the surface, touching on police-community dynamics, power structures, and survival in spaces that were never built to protect everyone equally.

Fowler admitted that horror was once off-limits for him entirely. Growing up terrified of Friday the 13th, he avoided the genre for over a decade. That makes his turn here even more compelling. Gibbs and Cyler echoed similar sentiments about what pulled them into the project, emphasizing that Night Patrol uses horror as a lens rather than a crutch. The scares are real, but so is the perspective. Micheaux, meanwhile, framed the film more bluntly. This is a badass vampire movie, first and foremost. No homework required. Just buckle up and enjoy the ride.

[WATCH THE FULL NIGHT PATROL CAST INTERVIEW HERE]

One of the film’s most intriguing elements comes from Prows’ approach to vampire lore. Instead of leaning on familiar rules, the film introduces a striking visual and mythological twist inspired by Afro-mysticism and Zulu folklore, including vampires with iron fangs. It’s a choice that immediately separates Night Patrol from its predecessors and gives the film a tactile, dangerous edge. The cast even joked about debating which kind of vampires they were dealing with, mirroring the audience’s experience as the rules unfold in real time.

The conversation took a playful turn when the cast imagined dropping their characters into other iconic horror universes. Confidence ran high. Whether surviving the woods, outgunning slashers, or teaming up with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween, the consensus was clear. These characters are built to endure. That confidence reflects the film itself. Night Patrol doesn’t flinch, doesn’t apologize, and doesn’t play it safe.

When asked to pair the film with a perfect double feature, The Lost Boys and Near Dark were clear touchstones, but so were non-horror classics like Menace II Society, underscoring how Night Patrol exists at the intersection of genre cinema and raw, lived-in storytelling. It’s scary not just because of the monsters, but because of how grounded everything feels.

Night Patrol opens exclusively in theaters on January 16, 2026. For fans of vampire films that bite back with style, substance, and swagger, this is one midnight movie that refuses to stay in the dark.