Midnight special is a breathtaking display of visual storytelling, confidently rendered by someone who understands the power of cinema. One can take issue with midnight specials climax, which shows more than the audience has been primed to expect from the film, while leaving most questions unanswered. Jun 08, 2016 spoiler alert by the ending of the movie, im guessing you mean literally the last two seconds. What does the ending of the movie midnight special mean. Cinema midnight special et 10 cloverfield lane, les faux films jumeaux. Carried by great performances although kirsten dunst is sorely underused and a truly hypnotic score, this scifi roadtrip genre mix has its heart and mind in the right place, both as a late70s80s homage and a familial drama, but all. What does the ending of the movie midnight special mean, if. The motives of that ammunitionhoarding religious cult, for instance, seem tantalizingly undeveloped until the group is unceremoniously excised from the final act. A father and son go on the run, pursued by the government and. Synopsis in the scifi thriller midnight special, writerdirector jeff nichols proves again that he is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time, as a father michael shannon, goes on the run to protect his young son, alton jaeden lieberher, and uncover the truth behind the boys special powers. The film stars bella thorne, patrick schwarzenegger, and rob riggle, and follows a teenage girl with the disease, xeroderma pigmentosum, which prevents her from going out into sunlight. Midnight special is a indie scifi film written and directed by jeff nichols and starring michael shannon, joel edgerton and kirsten dunst. If youve seen the film, please rate it at this poll.
The film seems to start in familiar roadtrip thriller mode, but little by little, midnight special leads us towards a spectacular finalact reveal. Mar, 2016 midnight special was in postproduction so long that he had time to make a whole other feature film. Whats the story in the scifi thriller midnight special, writerdirector jeff nichols proves again that he is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time, as a father michael shannon, goes on the run to protect his young son, alton jaeden. Midnight special is a 2016 american science fiction film written and directed by jeff nichols, and produced by sarah green and brian kavanaughjones. It premiered as a special on august 19, 1972, then began its run as a regular series on february 2, 1973. If that doesnt sound like the typical formula for a commercial film, it isnt. In the middle of the night, his father, roy, spirits him. Mar 16, 2016 midnight special moves with purpose to its final destination, but the film offloads too much baggage along the way. Even in shotgun stories, a film about adult brothers abandoned by their father and their war with the fathers other family, is more about the aggressive masculine response to an emotional situation than it is about that relationship with the father. In the middle of the night, his father, roy, spirits him away from the isolated cult that practically worships him and is determined to regain him at all costs. Nichols directing a sciencefiction themed film after the southerngothic dramacomedy mud just seemed so surreal.
I was hyped to see this long before i had the chance to. Midnight special is a 2016 scifichase movie written and directed by jeff nichols alton meyer, an 8yearold boy with supernatural abilities, has been reported missing. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Jeff nichols midnight special, with michael shannon. Alton, 8 ans et sequestre pendant deux ans dans une. If midnight special is, at its heart, a work of science fiction, it rolls out like a chase film.
Pictures, and entertainment one handled uk distribution. A father and his 8yearold go on the run when dad realizes the boy has some kind of special powers. Two menroy michael shannon, who has appeared in every nichols film and lucas joel edgertonare in a motel room, watching a news story about a manhunt involving a kidnapped boy. Some new details about jeff nichols midnight special have revealed more about the films plot. Some early scenes and plot points dont click until later in the film, and then, the way they fit is often deemphasized. Some of the movies story ideas may seem very familiar, but its more about emotions than special effects or thrills. With the help of his childhood friend, lucas joel edgerton, roy has kidnapped the child from captivity at a compound run by a branch davidianlike cult that once counted roy as a member. He does some amazing stuff, often using the same special effects from starman, but it doesnt move the plot forward or teach us anything about his character.
Midnight special can be divided into two halves separated by an abrupt plot shift that robs the film of its potential. While the journey to the astounding climax can be boring at times, midnight special harkens back to 80s film making to deliver a tense, atmospheric, subtle scifi road trip that leaves plenty of space for character development and doesnt overblow its plot. Alton meyer is a boy unlike any other in the world with bizarrely powerful abilities and strange weaknesses. Plot questions and character behaviors that dont quite add up. Superman mythology parallels with the birth of the christ child. They also appeared in the hbo tv series boardwalk empire 20102014, and have appeared in two stage plays. With michael shannon, joel edgerton, kirsten dunst, adam driver. Midnight special comes close to greatness is undeniable its first hour is a deliriously inventive, utterly arresting cosmic thriller that keeps its cards very close to its chest. It was directed by duke worne and starred glenn tryon and merna kennedy. Smith, randy quaid, norbert weisser, peter jeffrey and john hurt hayes was a young american student sent to a turkish prison. Loving, due later this year, is based on the story of mildred and richard loving, an. Both are beings with extraordinary abilities sent to earth, raised by normal human parents, and grow up to have a purpose to protect and save humanity.
To this cult, alton is the second coming, sent to save us. With mud, shotgun stories and take shelter under his belt, jeff nichols is quickly becoming comment. Midnight special should be added to his growing list of accomplishments, but for most people not glued into the genre, it may come off as disjointed and unfulfilled. In every other respect, jeff nichols compelling scifi chase film is terse and elliptical, showing little and telling less.
Midnight special 2016 movie trailer, release date, cast, plot. Spoiler alert by the ending of the movie, im guessing you mean literally the last two seconds. This is another great soundtrack score from david wingo. Even in shotgun stories, a film about adult brothers abandoned by their father and their war with the fathers other family, is more about the aggressive masculine response to an emotional situation than it. Midnight sun is a 2018 american romantic drama film directed by scott speer and written by eric kirsten, based on the 2006 japanese film a song to the sun. In a motel, roy tomlin and his childhood friend, texas state trooper lucas, watch an amber alert for 8yearold alton meyer and. Midnight special, from jeff nichols mud, is the latest movie to split critics between decriers and devotees. Through both his propulsive roadchase plotengine and lensflaring visual style, nichols makes good on his claim that midnight special is a tribute to john carpenters starman and spielbergs. From mud and take shelter writerdirector jeff nichols, midnight special follows a father michael shannon, who goes on the run to protect his young son, alton jaeden lieberher, and uncover the truth behind the boys special powers. Roy michael shannon is a father desperate to protect his uniquely gifted, eightyearold son. Reviews of midnight special were divided when the movie debuted at the berlin international film festival last month.
Parents need to know that midnight special is a scifi drama that writerdirector jeff nichols made to help process his feelings of becoming a father. Midnight special was in postproduction so long that he had time to make a whole other feature film. In jeff nicholss midnight special, two of the biggest surprises are particular visual effects, so ill disclose just one. A small movie from a big studio, midnight special lands somewhere in the limbo between the minis and the majors. Everything you need to know about midnight special movie. Hes midnight specials emotional core and plot macguffin wrapped into one whole, a seemingly alien child plagued with all kinds of peculiar powers he cant control. Midnight special is very particular about its cars, just as its very particular about its settingthe gas stations, motels, and workingclass suburbs of the bible beltand the cautious speech of its characters. Synopsis in the scifi thriller midnight special, writerdirector jeff nichols proves again that he is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time, as a father michael shannon, goes on the run to protect his young son, alton jaeden lieberher. Apr 07, 2016 midnight special, from jeff nichols mud, is the latest movie to split critics between decriers and devotees. Midnight special was backed and primarily distributed by warner bros. The overall concept it laid out during the first half of the film vanished somewhere in the middle, taking with it the buildup of intrigue and mystery.
Mud director jeff nichols aims to replicate spielbergian wonder with this tale of a boy with magical. Apr 10, 2016 the film seems to start in familiar roadtrip thriller mode, but little by little, midnight special leads us towards a spectacular finalact reveal. Michael shannon, joel edgerton, and kirsten dunst star in. Mar 17, 2016 if that doesnt sound like the typical formula for a commercial film, it isnt. If you havent seen the film but would like to see the result of the poll click.
Midnight special is a unique blend of chase flick and. Midnight special filmmaker jeff nichols is telling. He is on the run from the government who wants to know how he intercepted government secrets which were told to a religious cult in texas, who worship the. Midnight special 2016 rotten tomatoes movie trailers.
Midnight special is a film directed by jeff nichols with michael shannon, jaeden martell, joel edgerton, kirsten dunst, year. It is nicholss fourth fulllength film and his first studio production. Jeff nichols brilliant midnight special weaves relatable themes of parental responsibility and faith in that which is traditionally unexplainable into a scifi road movie, with echoes of john carpenter, steven spielberg, and stephen king bouncing throughout. Midnight express is a 1978 prison neo noir drama film directed by alan parker, produced by david puttnam and written by oliver stone, based on billy hayes 1977 nonfiction book midnight express. Midnight specials intriguing mysteries may not resolve themselves to every viewers. A father and son go on the run, pursued by the government and a cult drawn to the childs special powers. The midnight special is an american latenight musical variety series originally broadcast on nbc during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by burt sugarman. Apr 04, 2016 through both his propulsive roadchase plotengine and lensflaring visual style, nichols makes good on his claim that midnight special is a tribute to john carpenters starman and spielbergs.
Whats the story in the scifi thriller midnight special, writerdirector jeff nichols proves again that he is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time, as a father michael shannon, goes on the run to protect his young son, alton jaeden lieberher, and uncover the truth behind the boys special powers. Midnight special, while superbly acted and paced at just the right speed, has a bold message to deliver for humanity, however, most of the journey through the two hours of run time is watered down. It stars brad davis, irene miracle, bo hopkins, paolo bonacelli, paul l. In general, what happened was that, for whatever reason, the boy is just more a part of that other world than he is a part of our world, and he go. Mar 18, 2016 midnight special also relies on essential contributions from cinematographer adam stone who has worked with nichols on all of his films and composer david wingo. The biggest structural problem is that given the emotional through line of the story is the. The crackpot, subspielberg plot about a boy with weird powers. He is on the run from the government who wants to know how he intercepted government secrets which were told to a religious cult in texas, who worship the boy as. The plot follows alton, a young boy who possesses mysterious powers. The boy is in between the two beds in the room, reading comic books with a flashlight. Midnight special is basically the same scene repeated for two hours. Apr 01, 2016 in midnight special, its about how a child affects a father.
A genre mixer, midnight special is being labeled a scifi chase film. Stone captures the natural world almost as another character as he did in take shelter and mud and makes a work of art out of a sequence that hinges on a sunrise. Midnight special 2016 movie trailer, release date, cast. Behind the astonishing midnight special ending its very easy to say, well, jeff couldnt quite connect these dots, director jeff nichols told buzzfeed news. Why that midnight special ending makes perfect sense. In reality, his father roy, along with roys lifelong friend lucas, have taken the boy from the religious compound where he previously lived and gone on the r. Apr 27, 2016 midnight special is nichols fourth film. In reality, his father roy, along with roys lifelong friend lucas, have taken the boy from the religious compound where he. And the writerdirector knows that can be frustrating for some moviegoers. Midnight special is the newest and fourth film from writerdirector jeff nichols, and the third thats being called an american masterpiece.
Rentals include 30 days to start watching this video and 48 hours to. While the journey to the astounding climax can be boring at times, midnight special harkens back to 80s filmmaking to deliver a tense, atmospheric, subtle scifi road trip that leaves plenty of space for character development and doesnt overblow its plot. Jeff nicholss midnight special buries itself in secrets and a brooding, lucid sense of ambiguity, and its exciting and unbalanced in equal measure. Hes been talking about midnight special nonstop, which is one of. Jeff nichols is one of the finest directors of recent memory. The biggest structural problem is that given the emotional through line of the story is the father delivering the boy who was ostensibly taken away from him years prior to the coordinates, the removal of the father from the climax sacrifices any emotion built up between them. Why midnight special director jeff nichols moved on. It was selected to compete for the golden bear at the 66th berlin. In midnight special, its about how a child affects a father. Nichols, who also wrote the film, plunges us into the action of the piece immediately.