On the last night of daylight saving time, everyone gets an extra hour of darkness — so says the local wino (Lothaire Bluteau) — which is not necessarily a good thing if, like Charlie (Dan Futterman), you happen to be embarking on a very dark night of the soul.

Where does Charlie's anger come from? Is there any excuse for his antisocial behavior? Why does he turn violent on the soap opera hunk who picks him up, taunt the straight couple from upstairs, doggedly pursue the seedy but sexy guy with the tattoo? Is Charlie the film's hero — or something else? Gradually, we learn about the terrible event that led Charlie to this night. Even then, we're not entirely sure what happened, because like all urban legends, this story comes in more than one version.

Based on Daniel Reitz's stage play Urban Folk Tales, with a screenplay by Reitz and director Jon Shear, Urbania casts a spell that's not easily shaken off, thanks in large part to Dan Futterman's bravura performance. His Charlie restlessly prowls the nocturnal land­scape of New York City, an everyman lost in an urban no-man's-land.