Review of Midnight Special (2016) by Donaldist — 16 Apr 2016

It was refreshing, in watching this movie, to watch something that didn't feel the need to thickly lather on exposition at its very beginning. We know very little at the beginning of the film, and the gaps are filled in along the way, at a natural pace. "Midnight Special" is decidedly subtle, for the most part- the one issue I have with the film is that climax actually overplays its hand a bit too much, making the central mystery a bit too physical and literal. The ending remains just ambiguous and emotionally resonant enough for me to swallow the whole final act, however.

I certainly couldn't find fault with "Special"'s cast, which is one for the ages. The consistently great Michael Shannon manages to be startlingly heart-wrenching as the lead character, the father of a boy with unexplainable powers; Kirsten Dunst steals the third act of the film with just one reaction shot as the child's mother; Adam Driver is funny and awed as an NSA agent assigned to track the boy; Joel Edgerton is warm and driven as Shannon's second; Sam Shepard is fearsome and smug in a small role as a cult leader; Bill Camp makes for a soulful thug. And Jaeden Lieberher, the boy himself, chooses correctly to make the character the most even-headed of the film.

The film is masterfully directed by Jeff Nichols; one gorgeous shot I can recall immediately is of military vehicles rolling over a hilly road just as the sun is coming up. The score is a bit of an earworm, and sets the tone of the film well.

I've hesitated to include anything regarding the plot of this movie, but I hope I've established its best elements. Please, go see it, as it's one of the best of the year so far.