Review of Midnight Special (2016) by Ian T — 23 Apr 2016

Ok so (spoiler) it's basically ET.

It misses the mark for several reasons.

Every character basically mumbles no more than a couple of lines at a time while looking sad. This gives the whole film a somber tone. Although this helps you take the (slightly ridiculous) subject matter a little more serious, comes at the expense of character development. Who are these people? They are all the same sad mumbling person, troubled from some event in the past that, like in an old French film,.

Is never quite explained. In fact nothing in this film is really explained. We don't know who or what this kid is or why he has to get where he's going. Which is why we never really care. One last criticism, and I hate to say this but as amazing an actor as he is, Michael Shannon is really badly miscast as the caring father. It makes about as much sense as casting Tom Hanks as Hannibal lector.