Night Film

Scott McGrath , a once-renowned investigative journalist, is running laps around Central Park's Reservoir late at night, lost in the inertia of a ruined career and broken marriage. In the rain, he glimpses a mysterious woman in a red coat—her presence unsettling, her movements uncanny. She seems to follow him, appearing and vanishing, culminating in a surreal moment on the subway platform. This encounter, both real and spectral, reignites McGrath's obsession with the reclusive horror film director Stanislas Cordova , whose daughter, Ashley , has just been found dead in an apparent suicide. The

Theme 1: Rain-Soaked Encounter

This thread running through Night Film gives the story its emotional weight. Marisha Pessl weaves it into the narrative with skill, ensuring that the reader feels the stakes as deeply as the characters do.

Theme 2: Ashley's Mysterious Death

At its core, Night Film is a meditation on loss — how grief reshapes us, and how we find ways to carry what we cannot leave behind. Marisha Pessl handles these themes with sensitivity and grace, making the emotional journey feel universal.

Theme 3: The Cordova Obsession

This thread running through Night Film gives the story its emotional weight. Marisha Pessl weaves it into the narrative with skill, ensuring that the reader feels the stakes as deeply as the characters do.

What Readers Say About Night Film

Night Film has resonated with readers for its emotional honesty and vivid storytelling. Many describe finishing it in a single sitting — drawn forward by Marisha Pessl's prose and an almost desperate need to know how it ends.

A Passage Worth Sitting With

"Rain-Soaked Encounter" — Marisha Pessl, Night Film

About the Author

Marisha Pessl is the author of Night Film. Known for emotionally resonant storytelling, their work has found devoted readers across the globe.