By RICKY J. DUARTE
Although police violence aimed at communities of color is, disgustingly, nothing new, it has been a hot-button topic in recent years. As the country (and the world) fast approaches what is clearly a boiling point, it becomes clear that the horrors of the real world far outweigh any nightmare the horror genre can provide.
Yet, pushing real-world conflict through the meat grinder of horror allows for an amplified, if not whimsical, perspective from which to analyze it. In the new vampire/cop feature NIGHT PATROL, writer-director RYAN PROWS (Lowlife, V/H/S/94) brutally slips a slick tongue into the cheek of social commentary, blending shockingly realistic depictions of violence with supernatural elements and raising questions the film refuses to answer outright. Race, religion, white privilege, corrupt family legacy, allegiance to one’s community, and what goes on behind turned-off dashboard cams are stylishly and unabashedly on full display amidst a bloodsucking backdrop of Los Angeles cops versus. gangs. More specifically, a corrupt police task force versus The Bloods versus The Crips… versus themselves.
NIGHT PATROL has a lot to say, and it says it loudly.
The film’s eclectic ensemble features Jermaine Fowler, Justin Long, RJ Cyler, Freddie Gibbs, CM Punk, YG, Flying Lotus, Dermot Mulroney, Jon Oswald and Nicki Micheaux.
Outspoken social justice supporter and current WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM PUNK (aka Phillip Brooks) plays Sgt. Marcus, a vicious white supremacist and member of a bloody brood of cops targeting LA’s poor Black community. Marcus abuses his power as a police officer and as a vampire.
Recently, I sat down with CM Punk to discuss the film, his approach to the challenging material, and the differences (or lack thereof) between playing a vampire and a crooked cop.
What was your reaction when you received the NIGHT PATROL screenplay? What can you share about your character?
My reaction was “Holy shit! I get to do this?” This is a perfect movie for me. This is a movie that I would watch regardless of whether I was in it or not. And my character is very diabolical and very evil. He is a white supremacist police officer, also a vampire. What’s more monstrous?
You share some very intense scenes in this film with your fellow actors, including Justin Long, who’s a veteran of the horror genre. You hold your own very well. How do you approach scene work like that?
You know, obviously, Justin and Dermot Mulroney… wildly experienced! I just kind of got to make sure I showed up overprepared. I knew my lines, and I got to just kind of sit back, let them hold my hand, you know, I’m not going to tell those guys how and what to do… “Hey guys, I have an idea how this will go!” No, it’s more natural, and it’s a respect thing, too. I’m going to follow their lead because they obviously have way more experience at shooting movies than I do. But for you to say that I held my own with them, that’s a high compliment. Thank you.
Absolutely! You’re obviously not a stranger to “elevated” styles of combat. Can you describe the experience of adding the element of the supernatural while fighting?
It’s a lot of crossing your fingers and hoping this is all going to look really, really good once they add all the special effects and the soundtrack and everything. But knowing that it was shot in a way that was, like, super-stylized, I really felt, while we were working, we were sitting on something special, you know? And all the physicality and everything. There’s a lot of gunfire in this movie. There’s a lot of blood. There’s a lot of crazy violence. And all of it, obviously, for me, was a blast to do. It was a lot of fun.
There’s a lot of coordination on a set like this one. You’re throwing Justin Long around in the background while there’s plot-developing action in the foreground. What were the logistics of that like?
Oh, Ryan [Prowsr] is an absolute mensch to work with. When I got done, it was like this overwhelming feeling of, like, sadness, you know? And I just looked at him; I go, “Dude, hire me for your next one. I want to do more with you,” I think he’s got a very specific vision, and he gets that across.
I think things can get lost. You know, a DP on a film can have a different vision than the director, and sometimes, there are too many cooks in the kitchen. I think Ryan has all that under control, and what you’re seeing is his vision. He’s somebody I definitely would jump at the chance to work with again.
How is playing a villain in a movie like this similar to “heeling” in a wrestling match?
You are trying to draw a specific reaction out of the audience. In the wrestling ring, you want them to see you get beaten up and lose, and on the big screen, you want them to obviously root for the good guy. You need to be so despicable that they want to see and root for your comeuppance.
WWE Heavyweight Champion, actor and horror fan CM Punk
This isn’t your first horror film, and you recently wore a pair of Halloween III Silver Shamrock trunks in the ring. What is your relationship to the horror genre?
As far as movies go, it’s my first love for sure. There was something so taboo about it when I was a little kid – not allowed to watch. There’s a section in the video store that you couldn’t go into if you weren’t 18. And I was like, “Oh, what’s that about?” So, I’m eight years old. I’m just going to wander in there. And that’s how I discovered Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It always backfires, right? Like, anytime you put a parental advisory sticker on something, what are the kids gonna do? The kids want that, doesn’t matter what it is.
But then, growing up and loving all these horror movies, you realize that the horror genre is really the genre that pushes the envelope and speaks on social issues more than any other. And I think there’s something beautiful about that because more often than not, we’re the misfits, right? The creators, actors, directors and producers who have carved their own niche in horror oftentimes are the outcasts. Man, that’s me, you know, sign me up, I’ll work with those people any day of the week. They have stories to tell. They have voices. And I think it’s important to listen to them and hear them.
Well, and that leads into my next and final question: the film blends graphic, violent fantasy horror and graphic, violent real-life horror. How do you navigate those two spaces as an actor and as a human being?
You know, I think it’s easy to not take home being a vampire, right? But in the quiet moments in between sets, you know, driving home, there are questions that I hope people seeing this are going to ask themselves. And yeah, you can watch it and just have fun with it because it’s a kick-ass movie, and it’s got horror elements, and it’s an action film. But in the end, what I really hope some people take away from this is “Wow, CM Punk – Phil Brooks – he was great in this. Is he a monster because he’s a vampire or is he a monster because he’s a cop who abuses his authority?” To me, that’s the question. Who’s the real gang? Is it the Bloods? The Crips? Or the LAPD? There are a lot of questions you can ask yourself. And I think it’s one of the more important things that this movie does.
See NIGHT PATROL from RLJE Films and Shudder only in theaters on Friday, January 16, 2026.
