Back in the early-80s Stallone had done a couple of Rocky movies and his cache in Hollywood was on the rise. But he was not yet the action icon he’d grow to be by the end of the decade. At this point in his early career, he was still sort of a character actor taking on a variety of roles. One of those would be his turn as the streetwise NYPD cop Deke DaSilva in a taut, gritty, crime thriller. Looking back at it all these years later, this film marks an interesting departure from the typical Stallone cinema he’d later be known for as he delivers what I consider to be one of his more underrated roles
Now Nighthawks has always been a favorite of mine. And it still holds up all these years later. It combines elements of a police procedural, with a character-driven drama, and lines it with plenty of psychological tension to tell a story of a New York City cop trying to thwart a terrorist’s deadly plans. A simple premise, yet highly effective for delivering entertaining cinema. However, just because I said simple, is not to say this script isn’t lined with enough substance to carry the runtime. The plot centers on Detective Deke DaSilva played by Stallone. He’s a seasoned, emotionally complicated New York cop with a somewhat unconventional approach to law enforcement. Deke rides on his street smarts and is deeply invested in his job, but he’s also struggling with personal issues.
He has a somewhat strained relationship with his partner, Sergeant Matthew Fox played by Billy Dee Williams. They have respect but don’t always see eye-to-eye. And to me this dynamic provides an interesting counterpoint to the more conventional tropes of the genre. It humanizes them as a couple of regular guys with common flaws. Deke’s personal life is a bit messy as well, being separated from his wife and I think all of these emotional struggles make him a more grounded and complex character. A far cry from the action hero Stallone usually embodied.
Now a movie like this is only as good as its villain and Nighthawks delivers a scene stealing one with Rutger Hauer’s performance as the international terrorist Wulfgar. This guy is sophisticated, brutal, and highly motivated as he brings his wave of terror to The Big Apple. And I think Hauer provides this movie with a fun, unpredictable villain whose menacing, yet charismatic presence makes him a perfect foil for Stallone’s more grounded character.
Hauer’s portrayal of Wulfgar also adds a layer of depth to the film. He isn’t just a mindless killer but a man with a purpose, and capability even if his goals are warped. His unnerving calm and ruthlessness make him a formidable adversary for Deke because you feel like he can actually pull off his deadly plans. But just because Hauer is fantastic in this movie doesn’t mean Stallone isn’t great as well because he too brings this movie a strong leading performance.
Stallone plays DaSilva with a subtle vulnerability that was rarely seen by him much in his career after this. Stallone’s portrayal is far from the typical, stoic and unstoppable action hero; instead, Deke is deeply human, grappling with self-doubt and tension with those in his life. All of which adds emotional weight to this high-stakes thriller while also making their inevitable showdown much more anticipated. So front and center what Nighthawks gives you is a couple of characters that are each compelling in their own way. And drops them into a tried-and-true plot that allows for a solid game of cat-and-mouse.
Then you get the film’s dark, moody aesthetic to enhance the tension and pull you in with New York itself serving as a character. During this time-period New York was pretty rundown and infested with crime. So really this movie came down to location scouting over production design and it shows in many of the shots. The streets are shadowy, often grimy, littered, and the cinematography by James Contner captures the urban sprawl of the city with an almost noir-like quality. There’s a graininess to the movie, and with the camera movements and framing of many shots there’s a 70s vibe to Nighthawks that I love.
Many consider this an action flick but to me it’s much more of a methodical crime-thriller. Malmuth doesn’t rush the action. Instead he allows the film’s story and tension to build slowly, with the relationship between Deke and his partner Fox, as well as his marital complications to unfold naturally alongside the escalating threat posed by Wulfgar.
Now Nighthawks does have a few weaknesses. The pacing can feel uneven at times, especially in the middle portion. This to me is where the narrative lulls as Deke is essentially hunting Wulfgar across the city. But really nothing impactful happens for a stretch and this is where the story feels like it’s meandering a bit. Which I have no doubt is where the heavy edits to this movie were made. Because you can tell there are multiple scenes of filler stitched together with the original scenes serving as the pop of suspense or action being removed to bring the gore and violence level down for the MPAA.
Also, some of the secondary characters don’t get as much development. To me everyone else in this movie feels one-dimensional in comparison to the rich central character arcs of Stallone and Hauer. Additionally, while the film makes attempts at exploring Deke’s personal struggles, it sometimes feels like his character development is a bit choppy and sort of littered into the story which again could be the result of the heavy edits. But still a bit of a nuisance in the version we got.
Despite these minor flaws though, Nighthawks is still a solid thriller with strong performances and a fun final act filled with awesome practical action. These scenes still look cool today and the finale with DaSilva outsmarting Wulfgar is still a satisfying closing. Nighthawks is a rare 80s gem offering not only tension-filled sequences of action and suspense, but also an effective emotional intensity that elevates it above many of its contemporaries. And although Nighthawks didn’t achieve the same iconic status as Rocky or Rambo for Stallone, it is a well-crafted, engaging film that deserves more recognition and holds up better than many of Stallone’s bigger commercial films.
Anthony J. Digioia II © 2025 SilverScreen Analysis & Movies Never Say Die
