Review of Midnight Special (2016) by Jesse O — 22 Jul 2016

I think this movie may have taken a while to get going, I really do, but I think that the movie was a pretty damn great sci-fi film overall. Talking about Stranger Things the other day in my review for The Invitation, this film is very similar, as it relates to the government being trying to search for a child that may be used as a weapon.

The similarities end there as this film is tonally far more serious than Stranger Things. Not saying that Stranger Things isn't serious in and of itself, but you understand what I mean. Jeff Nichols proves himself, once again, to be, probably, one of the best in the business right now.

Everyone of his movies, I've seen them all minus Loving, have ranged from great-to-excellent. And the fact is that he hasn't made the same film twice, he's embracing different styles and genres of storytelling and I always welcome that approach.

He's got a great eye for visuals and for capturing fantastic performances from his cast. And, really, this film is no different. The core of the film, Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst and Jaeden Lieberher are all excellent in this film.

Michael Shannon is, currently, one of my favorite actors, so it's always a pleasure to watch him perform. I also love Joel Edgerton, so no complaints there. I hadn't seen Kirsten Dunst in quite a while, sadly I haven't watched the second season of Fargo, but she's still damn good and Jaeden delivers the goods as well.

So I can't complain on that front, the casting of the film is excellent. What I think some people will have problems with, is the pacing of the narrative itself. It's not bad and, in fact, it is really damn good, but it is a movie that's more content on building up its mystery regarding what Alton's powers are exactly and that carries a lot of the narrative.

The fact of the matter is that the film does bring up certain questions that it doesn't necessarily pay off on. And I wouldn't hold it against anyone if they thought the film was lacking because of that, but part of me believes that getting answers wasn't necessarily the point.

The point of the story is to show you the risks a father, and mother about halfway through the film, would take in order to ensure his son's safety. Risk his and others' lives in an attempt to get his son where he needs to be, regardless of the consequences.

But, for some, that might not be a valid reason to pardon the unanswered questions, and I get that. Yet, again, I don't think that's the point of the narrative. The film really does pick in the last half or so.

I don't wanna say the first half was slow or uninteresting, but it was all building up to the moment when they would have to go on the run for real. They've been avoiding authorities for a long time, but the second half sees the authorities and other groups hot on their respective tails.

It's really well executed and I thought it really elevated the film. The climax of the film is, I thought, excellent. It's surprisingly simple and complex at the same time because, again, it raises question that the film doesn't answer, but gives you enough to chew on and debate with others.

So, yea, I thought this film was great. It's not gonna be for everybody, of course, but this was a great movie. I'd recommend it if only because I think people should see the film for themselves and come to their own conclusions.

Great stuff right here.