Midnight Special Review

     Over the past few years we've seen a kind of changing of the guard when it comes to Hollywood's best directors. Legends like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese have been on a down slope as of late, making movies far from their best work. But at the same time we've seen a new generation of directors come into their prime. Movie makers like Richard Linklater, Wes Anderson, and Denis Villeneuve have really separated themselves from the pack, and are already considered some of the best directors of their generation. But of all the film makers to emerge as of late, I think the one that really stands out has to be Jeff Nichols. Hailing from the American south, Nichols has only been making movies since 2008; with his debut film "Shotgun Stories" being met with critical acclaim. His next film "Take Shelter" garnered several major awards, and was considered one of the best movies of the year. And his 2013 film "Mud" was met with near universal acclaim, and according to aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes it was the fourth best reviewed film of the year. So despite being in the business for such a short period of time, Nichols is often considered one of the best directors working today. Now with his fourth film "Midnight Special," Nichols is trying something different. A sci-fi film inspired by the work of John Carpenter and Spielberg, Nichols has left his comfort zone of southern family dramas to try something new. And it might just be one of the year’s best.

     Roy is a middle aged man who, for years, was a member of a cult in rural Texas. While there he met a woman named Sarah and they had a son they named Alton. To their surprise, Alton has unexplainable powers, with the ability to absorb sunlight and release it in powerful bursts as well as the ability to pick up radio waves. Alton was then forcefully adopted by the cult leader who, along with the rest of the cult, worshiped him as some sort of spiritual figure. Fed up with the way his son has been treated, Roy rescues Alton from the cult with the help of an old friend. The plan was to get Alton as far away from the cult as possible. But the plans change when Alton discovers who he really is, and what he needs to do.

     Going into 2016, this was probably my most anticipated movie of the year, based solely off of Nichols's track record. And for a fourth time, he has churned out a fantastic cinematic experience. As always with one of Nichols's movies, the entire cast gives great performances. Michael Shannon in the lead role gives probably the best leading performance of the year so far, and co-stars Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, and Adam Driver do a great job as well. I also have to give props to Jaeden Lieberher who played Alton, child performances tend to be hit or miss, but he did a good job as his character. And I have to say that this movie is filled with likable characters. You root for the main cast from the opening minutes because all they're trying to do is protect this kid from people who want to take advantage of him. You're able to connect with them quickly, and you really want them to succeed. As I've said multiple times in this review, I think Nichols is an amazing director. And he shows us that again with this movie. He did a great job with this movie, bringing out excellent performances from his actors, as well as the way the story shifts and the transitions between scenes. But not only is he a great director, he is a great writer as well; "Midnight Special" is extremely well written, and the way the dialog unfolds is believable. People tend to say what you think they'd say in that situation. The movie's plot is both intriguing and mysterious, and it never lost my attention. Compared to his other movies, I feel "Midnight Special" is a lot more fun and entertaining. But with such an original and mysterious plot, the film's biggest problem comes up. If you see this movie, you're going to walk out of the theater with a lot more questions than answers. While leaving on such a mysterious note works for some movies, with this one it just leaves you wanting more. Despite that issue, I loved this movie. For all the reasons I mentioned plus the lovely score, beautiful cinematography, and gorgeous visual design highlighted later in the film. Jeff Nichols once again proves why he is one of the best. I really don't think there is a director currently working that is a good as he is. While it might not be his best film, "Midnight Special" is certainly the best movie I've seen so far in 2016. 

Pros: Great performances from the entire cast, mysterious and original plot, likable characters you root for, exceptional directing from Jeff Nichols, beautiful cinematography, well written script, always fun and entertaining, lovely score, gorgeous visual design.

Cons: Leaves you with lots of questions and few answers.

4.5/5 Stars