Directed and Written by : Jeff Nichols
Starring : Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Jaeden Lieberher, Adam Driver, Kirsten Dunst
Release Date : February 18, 2016
When watching "Midnight Special," it feels like it's the kind of movie that's evoking such sci-fi films like "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind," "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Starman," or "Firestarter." Like those movies, this one also touches on people fearing the unpredictability of something very unfamiliar, and the people who are able to embrace that. Along with the boy that has glowing eyes (that's just one part of it), also toss in a protective Father, a cult-like group, being chased by the government, the road trip aspect of the story, a mysterious goal, and with all that we have here is a premise that's sure to pique your interest.
This movie is in the style of being a very subdued story that has a very specific pace, without the need to over emphasize the special effects. That's just the superficial feel of the movie though, because it's really just a series of scenes that just loves to tease you with how inexplicable things are. Writer / Director Jeff Nichols wanted to play with the narrative of the story telling, and bought into being completely mysterious and cryptic, to the point that it can get frustrating putting up with it. There are some reveals and answers to all those mysteries, but unfortunately they aren't always satisfying.
The cast is overall good in this, and while it seems like each of their characters have a rich background history to them, they somehow still feel underwhelmingly underwritten. Michael Shannon is sure acting like a very concerned but caring Father, and Joel Edgerton seems devotedly loyal to helping out his friend, but that's as far as they can really take their roles. It doesn't help that the story has plot points that seem annoyingly baffling to see play out, all for the sake of the fact that the story has to go from point A to point B. It's all very interesting, until it does something that kills that interest.
Without spoiling too much, "Midnight Special" really rides on the themes of the story, which are having blind faith in a belief, and the sacrifices parents have to go through just for the welfare of their children. That aspect is what I enjoyed the most about this movie. Now whether you like the conclusions to those themes and the many mysteries in the movie is completely up to you.
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