It’s not a big picture – what’s more, Wolfman Jack is nowhere to be found…
Instead MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is a terrific supernatural thriller that plays intimately.
Trouble is, not much can or should be given away in reviews of the film since one tip too many would result in unforgiving spoilers.
So let me tread lightly with a general overview and allow you to experience the movie on your own terms.
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is about a father going on the run to protect his 8-year old son and attempting to uncover the truth behind the kid’s special powers.
What starts out as a race from a religious commune in Texas quickly escalates to a nationwide manhunt involving the highest levels of the federal government.
It’s about a father risking everything to protect the boy and help fulfill a destiny that could change the world as we know it…forever.
What writer-director Jeff Nichols (‘Mud’ & ‘Take Shelter’) has achieved here is a slow burning thriller that captures the full spectrum of the genre—but in modest fashion.
The visuals are extremely effective, yet not over the top.
And the back road locations of cheap motels and out of the way gas stations provide the film with a gritty dose of realism. It sure held my attention for its ENTIRE 1:52 hrs. running time.
Hats off to compelling storytelling!
Combine all that with terrific casting including Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, David Jensen and Sam Shepard and you’ve got the perfect mix of STARMAN with CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND—and a little of THE SIXTH SENSE thrown in for good measure.
The biggest problem the film faces is in finding its audience.
That’s why Warner Brothers kicked it off at the recent Berlin Film Festival and why MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is now entering a ‘platformed’ release pattern.
This film definitely needs word-of-mouth to propel into the mainstream.
And it could very well find itself in fanboy cult status once it reaches its afterlife via various post theater video providers.
But until then MIDNIGHT SPECIAL opens this weekend in limited runs.
My score: a riveting A-
(Reviewed at AMC Ward Parkway)
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings during Kansas City’s Morning News on 98.1 FM, KMBZ.
Michael Shannon is great in every movie he makes.