Review of Midnight Special (2016) by Samuel H — 05 Jul 2016

Overlong "sci-fi" that ultimately asks the audience to meet it 90% the way. The overriding question concerning this film will always be "why?" Unlike Neil Blomkamp, who updated "Short Circuit" with youthful deftness, Nichols fails to do the same with his version with "E.

T.", or "Close Encounters", or whatever this was supposed to be a nod to. It doesn't have the magic of a Spielberg, but limps along with a depressingly noirish tone. The characters are sullen, unlikable, and lack any connectivity.

In place of clever plotting and scripting we get heavy doses of sentimentality, and at times it feels we aren't watching a sci-fi flick, but some middle America fairy tale aimed at people who've lost a child to cancer.

Much like the cult member characters of the film the audience is asked to believe that heaven is for real.