Fantastic Fest 2025 Interview: Ryan Prows & RJ Cyler on “Night Patrol” and Bringing Real Horror to the Streets of L.A.

Director Ryan Prows and RJ Cyler discuss blending street realism and supernatural horror in Night Patrol.

At Fantastic Fest 2025, Horror Movies Uncut caught up with filmmaker Ryan Prows (Lowlife) and actor RJ Cyler (The Harder They Fall, Power Rangers) to discuss their gritty new horror-thriller, Night Patrol — a ferocious fusion of Los Angeles gang culture, supernatural terror, and social reckoning.

For Prows, the idea started with one question: what if the most marginalized people in America were forced to face monsters both human and otherwise?

“We wanted to make it grounded, authentic, and truthful,” Prows explained. “This movie puts real people with real problems right in the middle of the chaos. We wanted to have fun, make it wild, but still say something about what’s happening out there.”

RJ Cyler’s Wazi: Finding Humanity in the Horror

Cyler’s performance as Wazi is raw, layered, and deeply human — a young man torn between the streets and something darker clawing at his world.

“He’s grown, but mentally still trying to catch up,” Cyler said. “He’s figuring out who he is while surviving what’s around him. I wanted that honesty and growth to come through — not just another tough guy, but someone learning who he is.”

That balance between humor, pain, and transformation gives Wazi dimension rarely seen in genre films about gang life.

“I didn’t want to be stuck in one space,” Cyler added. “Ryan let me show growth — starting off as someone vulnerable and growing stronger through the chaos.”

Building Authenticity — From Piru to the Paranormal

To ensure authenticity, Prows brought in real voices from L.A.’s streets, including legendary community figure Skip Townsend and rapper YG, who also served as an executive producer.

“YG came on early and basically tech-advised us,” Prows said. “Skip took me around Watts, introduced me to everyone. I pitched the film in every neighborhood. We needed the blessing — to make sure we got it right.”

That dedication grounds Night Patrol in a lived-in realism, letting the horror explode from a world that already feels dangerous.

“We treated it like a documentary,” Prows said. “So when the fantastical elements hit, they hit even harder.”

Horror as Protest

Beneath the supernatural bloodshed, Night Patrol tackles themes of race, power, and America’s uneasy relationship with its own history.

“Race is the original sin of America,” Prows stated. “But horror gives you permission to talk about it — to build a world, have fun, and still confront the uncomfortable truth underneath.”

Finding Soul and Sound in the Chaos

Music pulses through Night Patrol — from punk to hardcore to hip-hop. Cyler recalled his surprise when the movie opened with a track from Philly punk band Soul Glo.

“As a Black man who’s been listening to punk and metal all my life, I loved that moment,” said HMU’s Travis Brown during the interview. Cyler grinned. “Yeah, that energy — that’s Wazi right there.”

A Dream Premiere

For Prows, Night Patrol’s world premiere at Fantastic Fest marks the culmination of years of persistence.

“It’s a dream come true,” he said. “We’ve been building this forever. Once RJ and the cast locked in, it went beyond anything I could’ve imagined. Now to share it here, with this crowd — it’s unreal.”

Cyler echoed the sentiment, hoping audiences connect with the story’s humanity as much as its mayhem.

“Everybody’s going through something,” he said. “Wazi’s journey — it’s about figuring out who you are in the middle of the madness. That’s what I want people to walk away with.”

Special thanks to: Ryan Prows, RJ Cyler, and the Night Patrol team.

Interview by Travis Brown, Horror Movies Uncut.

Coverage from Fantastic Fest 2025.