A week after seeing some tweets about how great Midnight Special is, I found myself winning a double pass to a preview/premiere screening here in Perth. I was quite excited to see what people are raving on about. I've seen the Director's (Jeff Nichols) previous films (Take Shelter and Mud), of which I thought Shelter was the better of the two - but Mud is pretty good too.
They both took their time to explore the characters and relay the story - sometimes to the point of being a bit too slow for me. But, they came full circle and finish very well. This one is no different in that respect, but I found the central plot quite intriguing and more interesting than the others (at least more so than Mud).
Michael Shannon and Joel Edgerton are on the run, accused of abducting a child. That child is actually the son of Shannon's character - a boy with strange abilities. There is a lot of mystery that surrounds the events in this film. Things unfold, but at a pace that sometimes annoys me. I know that the payoff is coming, so I have to remind myself to be patient and enjoy this often fascinating ride.
The last third of this film is the best. As I said, it builds slowly, but it always keeps you interested. The score is also very good - I am listening to it as I type this. One of the main feelings I had throughout this film was that of John Carpenter's Starman - which is a good thing. Overall, a great sci-fi mystery thriller. The emphasis here is definitely on the characters and their journey - which is a nice change of pace.
4/5
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