Starring: Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, Joel Egerton, Adam Driver, Jaeden Lieberher
Midnight Special
Director: Jeff Nichols
Rating: 4/5
Jeff Nichols is one of the most exciting directors around and has already brought us films such as Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter, and Mud; which have established him as a great storyteller and character creator.
He is back in the director's chair this week with new film Midnight Special, which sees him reunite with actor Michael Shannon for their third film project together. This time, Nichols tackles the sci-fi genre for the first time and it is another terrific film from the director.
Roy (Shannon) is a father desperate to protect his uniquely gifted, eight-year-old son in this genre-defying thriller, which proves once again that director Jeff Nichols is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time.
As father and son go on the run, an intense chase ensues as they are hunted down by a mysterious cult and a clandestine government agency - the outcome of which could bring about a world-changing event.
Midnight Special is a sci-fi film that I have really been looking forward to... and it really doesn't disappoint. Nichols has delivered another engrossing human story that grabs you and holds your attention from the opening scene to the closing credits.
I love the fact that the filmmaker nods back to the classic sci-fi films of the eighties - especially Close Encounters by Steven Spielberg - but he also establishes himself a great director of this genre as well.
Yes, Midnight Special is a science fiction film, but it is a father and son story that is it's heart and soul and packs the real emotional punch. Shannon has delivered some wonderful performances in Nichols' movies in recent years and he is on top form again with Midnight Special.
He gives a wonderfully touching performance as Roy, a man who will do whatever it takes to protect his son, no matter what the personal cost. Shannon has a wonderful on-screen relationship with youngster Jaeden Lieberher and their scenes together are some of the film's most emotional and powerful.
Kirsten Dunst, Joel Egerton, and Adam Driver all deliver terrific supporting performances, but this movie is all about Shannon and Lieberher and the relationship between this father and otherworldly son.
Midnight Special starts off as a slow-burner kind of movie but Nichols really does up the ante from half way and notches up the tension and sense of uncertainty about how it is all going to end.
But this is a movie about family and the strength of the family bond and this is what makes this movie so involving and heart-breaking. Those themes are brought home even harder by the fact that Nichols has not gone overboard or relied too heavily on special effects.
Midnight Special is the biggest production of Nichols' career to date and yet, character and story remain the most important factors. He has stayed true to himself as a storyteller and delivered another terrific film.
Midnight Special is out now.
Tagged in Michael Shannon Jeff Nichols