Skip to content

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL

Written By:

Kieron Moore
midnightspecial

Midnight Special is an odd film. It opens with two men and a boy on the run. The boy, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), is the biological son of one of the men, Roy (Michael Shannon). Roy and his friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton) have abducted Alton from the Texas ranch on which he was brought up. Cut to the ranch, where we find out Alton’s adoptive father is the pastor of a fervently zealous congregation who believe that Alton has predicted the apocalypse. Alton, you see, has some kind of superpowers – he does this trick where light blasts from his eyes, can control any electrical system with his mind, and can pick up Radio Five Live, among other stations ­– and has drawn the attention of both the FBI and the NSA, particularly NSA analyst Paul Sevier (Adam Driver). Roy, Lucas, and Roy’s wife Sarah (Kirsten Dunst) are taking Alton to… well, to say any more would be to spoil the film’s many surprises.

One of the oddest things about Midnight Special, if you’re going into it blind, is trying to work out when it’s set. Director Jeff Nichols has clearly gone for a 1970s Amblin look, with vintage cars and timelessly fusty suits aplenty, a look reinforced by Adam Stone’s unflashy cinematography; the people on the ass-backwards ranch, meanwhile, dress as if they’re from the 1870s. But then, is that NSA techie using a laptop? This sounds like a very specific critique, but it’s typical of the disorientating classic-meets-modern feel of Nichols’ movie, which takes influences from E.T. and Close Encounters, but also from modern superhero fare and from sadder, darker, grittier dramas. Whether this works or not is up for debate; at times, the film feels a little too pleased with its own profundity, and the confusing final act doesn’t answer half of the questions you’ll have been asking about the mysteries of Alton’s powers.

But yet, there’s something magical and moving about the whole thing, largely due to the family story that anchors all the weird gubbins. A constant sense of trepidation surrounds Roy and Sarah, desperate to get Alton to safety and fearful that events will take him from them, just like when he was originally adopted. It’s a film about a father and mother who can’t begin to understand their son but love him unconditionally anyway, and Michael Shannon and Kirsten Dunst portray these characters with a tragic believability. Just don’t expect all these issues to be sorted out and tied up in a bow – Nichols may cite Spielberg as his main influence, but uplifting this is not.

And whether you’re up for such uncertainty will determine your feelings on Midnight Special, but we’d recommend you dive into it. A modern vintage sci-fi with sadness and superpowers – it’s an odd film, but an oddly wonderful one.

Special Features: Cast and crew interviews

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: JEFF NICHOLS / STARRING: MICHAEL SHANNON, KIRSTEN DUNST, JOEL EDGERTON, ADAM DRIVER, JAEDEN LIEBERHER / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

 

Kieron Moore

You May Also Like...

black widow star scarlett johansson in talks to lead new universal jurassic world film

Scarlett Johansson In Talks To Join JURASSIC WORLD Film

Another MCU star appears to be taking up the reins for Universal’s new Jurassic World movie: two-time Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson is reportedly in talks to lead the franchise that
Read More

Exclusive Reveal! Titan Comics to Deliver Prehistoric Hysterics in First 2 DUMB DINOS Collection

Titan Comics have exclusively revealed to STARBURST that they’re gearing up to publish the first-ever collection of the hilarious cult digital comic strip 2 Dumb Dinos, and we’re not the
Read More

New Dates For Lovecraftian Key of Dreams

Key of Dreams has announced new spaces for its titular immersive luxury horror event. The critically acclaimed company is known for its overnight experiences that dunk you into a strange
Read More

FAB Café to Host Free Film Screening of New Indie Comedy SECRETS OF A WALLABY BOY

We’re well known for our championing of truly independent filmmakers here at STARBURST, so it’s doubly exciting to be writing about one of our own! After joining the crew in
Read More
colin farrell returns as oswald cobblepot in the penguin series trailer

Colin Farrell Returns In THE PENGUIN Trailer

Colin Farrell returns as Gotham City’s answer to Tony Soprano in the first trailer for Max series The Penguin, which spins out of the world of the 2022 DC film
Read More
michael keaton as beetlejuice in beetlejuice 2 trailer

First Look At Jenna Ortega In BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE Trailer

Almost 40 years down the road, the infamous bio-exorcist finally returns in the first trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic film. Jenna Ortega (Wednesday,
Read More