A Night of Crimes (2019) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Most of the action takes place in a crowded city apartment building, where the first murder shocks the residents. The story also unfolds in Mona's home, Joe Powell's office, and a hotel in Reno, Nevada. These varied settings, from narrow apartment hallways to hotel suites, heighten tension as loyalties and alibis blur.

• apartment building
• city setting
• Reno hotel
• setting locations

Mona Harrison is an actress whose disappearance and subsequent death propel the entire plot forward. Her murder exposes a network of blackmail and stratified relationships, revealing hidden connections between her sister Marie and Arthur. She represents the catalyst that draws ordinary citizens into a dangerous web of crime and deception.

• Mona Harrison
• actress
• central character
• victim

Marie is Mona Harrison's sister who becomes a central antagonist in the story. She orchestrates a blackmail scheme with Arthur, manipulating relationships for financial gain. Her desperation for money leads her to ultimately kill both Mona and Ellen, making her one of the primary villains driving the film.

• Marie
• antagonist
• sister
• blackmail
• villain

The deception theme centers on blackmail and hidden relationships that connect the characters. Mona's disappearance and Ellen's murder are tied to Marie and Arthur's schemes, exposing double lives. Secret alliances and carefully staged alibis keep the truth out of reach until the final revelations unfold, creating a tense atmosphere of mistrust.

• deception
• blackmail
• hidden relationships
• secrets
• lies

The survival theme follows characters confronting danger at every turn, from near-fatal encounters to frantic chases. Susan and Joe scramble to protect themselves and uncover the killer before more harm occurs. Fear becomes a constant companion, turning ordinary spaces like apartment hallways and hotel rooms into potential traps.

• survival
• danger
• fear
• threat
• danger stakes

Joe Powell is a publicity director who becomes entangled in Mona and Ellen's fates while trying to protect his girlfriend Susan Cooper. He navigates a maze of clues, suspects, and danger, displaying determination and resourcefulness under pressure as he works to uncover the truth.

• Joe Powell
• protagonist
• publicity director
• main character

Susan Cooper is Joe Powell's girlfriend who takes bold risks to uncover Mona's situation. She investigates Mona's room, narrowly escapes an attack, and ultimately reveals the blackmail scheme involving Marie and Arthur. She plays a crucial investigative role alongside Joe.

• Susan Cooper
• girlfriend
• investigator
• brave
• risk-taker

The investigation theme involves a chain of murders and disappearances that drives the plot, forcing characters to reveal motives and secrets. The story follows investigators and ordinary people who become entangled in a web of lies. Suspicion shifts rapidly as new evidence emerges, keeping the audience guessing about who can be trusted.

• investigation
• mystery
• murders
• evidence
• suspects

Detective Hoffman is the investigator who intervenes during the attack on Susan's room and assists in connecting the various murders. He represents the procedural backbone of the investigation, working alongside Police Chief Williams to gather evidence and interview suspects.

• Detective Hoffman
• investigator
• police
• law enforcement

Arthur Evans is Mona's would-be blackmailer involved in Mona and Marie's scheme. His involvement with Marie escalates the risk around the hotel and room investigations, making him a key figure in the blackmail plot that drives much of the deception in the story.

• Arthur Evans
• blackmailer
• suspect
• scheme

Ellen Smith is the neighbor who is murdered early in the story, her death triggering the investigation. Her murder hints at a wider conspiracy and the danger lurking behind upper-class façades, setting in motion the chain of events that brings Joe and Susan into the mystery.

• Ellen Smith
• neighbor
• murder victim
• catalyst