Review of Midnight Special (2016) by Tatsuhito K — 31 Mar 2016

Writer-director Jeff Nichols delivers yet another solid human drama film. Although this is not as compelling as "Take Shelter" or emotionally engaging as Nichols' previous film "Mud", its mysterious story and the strong performances from its cast will keep you engrossed from start to finish.

I had no idea where it was going and I was completely locked on for about two-third of the film; but I must say the third act, a.k.a. the reveal, was not as interesting as the rest of the film and I was rather disappointed by the way it ended.

There were so many unresolved questions, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but the more I think about all the things that were shown in the story, the less enthusiastic I start to feel about the entire film.

As a piece of storytelling, this is a terrific film. But as a Sci-Fi drama with shades of Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", it feels incomplete and something is missing. Nichols is an immensely talented filmmaker, and I truly admire the way he tells his story in each film.

There's so much to like about "Midnight Special", and I think not knowing is the best part of the film. It's not my favorite Jeff Nichols movie, but it is far superior than most cinematic garbage out in theaters at the moment.

It's good and perfectly enjoyable.