Filmology Rating: 3.38 out of 4

The latest from writer/director Jeff Nichols holds a commanding grip on both of the terms featured in its title. Midnight Special spends a great deal of its time not only shrouded in actual darkness, but also in the mystery of its story. What comes out of this darkness is perhaps the most unique or “special” sci-fi film to release in the last decade. 

Midnight Special is the story of a young boy named Alton, played by Jaiden Lieberher, who possesses strange powers. The film begins with an amber alert broadcasted over the local news that gives us the small degree of exposition that the film provides. We learn that Alton has been kidnapped by man named Roy Tomlin, played by Michael Shannon, and taken from a local religious cult. Roy is a former member of the cult and Alton’s father. As Roy flees the cult with his childhood friend Lucas, played by Joel Edgerton, Roy must go to extreme lengths to travel undetected across the country. In pursuit of Alton is a pair of cult members and the entirety of the U.S. government. One of Alton’s powers it seems is the ability to receive signals from radio waves and satellites. Some of these signals just happen to be classified government secrets. Midnight Special pays heavy homage to the Spielberg classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind. As Roy struggles to bring Alton to an unspecified location, we also meet Alton’s mother Sarah Tomlin, played by Kirstin Dunst, and Paul Sevier, played by Adam Driver. Sarah serves as another guardian for Alton, while Paul is the government expert on Alton who is more interested in learning about the boy then capturing him. Midnight Special plays out as a two hour film that is part chase movie, part sci-fi, and part family drama. Director Jeff Nichols weaves these different elements into a wonderfully rich film. 

One filmmaking choice I greatly appreciated from Nichols was his choice to avoid exposition for expositions sake. For the most part, the film shrouds itself in mystery and poses numerous questions that it never fully answers. Some viewers may be put off by this, but if the viewer is willing to examine closely, they can learn all they need to know. Even the smallest of moments in the film such as pushing away a glass of alcohol can tell us a great deal about the characters and how they’ve ended up on this path. Nichols holds the utmost confidence in the cast to flesh out the story through only sheer acting ability. It is no small feat that the entire cast turns in excellent performances. Midnight Special guides us through the darkness pulls us along with an excellent degree of suspense and mystery. As viewers we are left guessing until the final moments of the film. Although story choices near the end of the film differ wildly from the suspense and mystery of the first few acts, the choices that are made ultimately give us a great deal to question. Developments near the end of the film elevate Midnight Special from a mere sci-fi thriller to a Terrence Malick-like contemplation of nature and emotion. 

Midnight Special may not be for everyone. The deliberate lack of exposition may put off some viewers who expect a more straightforward sci-fi tale. Leaving Midnight Special, I held more questions and hypotheses than I did concrete answers. In spite of the foggy elements of Midnight Special, I cannot wait to revisit this film over and over again. 

Rating: See It

-Tyler