Midnight Special

Unrated

3/12/20161h 52m

Premiere Release (US)

~ He's not like us. ~

Overview:

A father and son go on the run after the dad learns his child possesses special powers.

Director:

Jeff Nichols

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$18,000,000.00

Revenue:

$7,112,282.00

Key words:

helicopter
government
chase
parent child relationship
gas station
hostage
fbi
texas
motel
ranch
meteor
on the run
shootout
military
religious cult
child kidnapping
goggles

Cast

Michael Shannon

~ as ~

Roy Tomlin

Jaeden Martell

~ as ~

Alton Meyer

Joel Edgerton

~ as ~

Lucas

Kirsten Dunst

~ as ~

Sarah Tomlin

Adam Driver

~ as ~

Agent Sevier

David Jensen

~ as ~

Elden

Sam Shepard

~ as ~

Calvin Meyer

Scott Haze

~ as ~

Levi

Dana Gourrier

~ as ~

Sharon Davison

Paul Sparks

~ as ~

Agent Miller

View full cast & crew

Reviews (3)

Reno
Written 8 year(s) ago
7

A secret road adventure during the dark hours!

So the Jeff Nichols and Micahel Shannon saga continues. This is theirs 4th film together in the last nine years and all of them were well accepted. Now they are into sci-fi for this, which is kind of a road movie that resembles hundreds of other films. Only thematically, but in parts it looks different, especially for being too realistic as what the director is famous for. Finally, something is not a comedy or a full of CGI, yet still it is a wonderful sci-fi-drama with some thrill moments.

It opened like the midway of the story. We obviously have to wait for a proper explanation to know what's going on, who is the child and where they're taking him. So it all begins with two armed men driving a young kid on the dark hours. Only we know is that they are protecting the boy from the government people, but the film took some time to give a clear picture of the condition. In the meantime, I started my prediction game, but I expected the film to clarify how it all began. It never cared about that part, only moved forward and that's how we're going to get some answers where a few might feel its a let down.

The negative of the film is you won't fully understand it, but it is not an incomplete story, just designed that way that leaves for the viewer to add their own perspectives to where the writer left blank spaces. Like I said the people are comparing it with the similar films and I did not care about that, but I disappointed with the conclusion. It was neatly folded, I actually liked it, but it was not fresh, especially it totally mirrors 'Tomorrowland'. Now I know why Warner Bros moved it from last year to this year's release.

It might be a coincident because the director who is also the writer has a good reputation, so I believe it is definitely not a steal, just a common creative that we've already seen many films like that. Overall, this film is worth, but might not satisfy the Jeff Nichols fans, because like I said plenty of times before in my reviews, now it the sci-fi era and every filmmaker and film-star want to board on that plane. So it did not spare Jeff Nichols as well.

7/10
Gimly
Written 8 year(s) ago
7
It's like Donnie Darko and Looper had a baby. A less talented baby, but still, pretty impressive.

Final rating:★★★½ - I strongly recommend you make the time.
h
heartly
Written 8 year(s) ago
7
Midnight Special is an entertaining Sci-fi flick that ultimately never reaches it's full potential. The father son on the run story is griping and well played with the talent of Michael Shannon who is believable as a father who will do anything to get his gifted son to where he needs to be. Dunst and Edgerton do some fairly solid work also as Altons mother and I believe step father. The dialogue is believable, the action and Sci-fi elements are all well put together. The concept almost ET like is interesting. The CGI is acceptable if not spectacular. The music well scored if not memorable. I personally found this movie felt long at 1h52mins and for some reason I felt the movie should of been set in an earlier time period like the 70s or 80's. These are small personal gripes and you may ask why it does not achieve it's full potential. The answer is simply the way it ends, it felt small or empty. These characters had done so much, for this child and somehow the movie had left me with zero emotional connection to how the story played out. The father and son connection was the strongest element in the movie and this I felt needed a bigger part in the ending of this film, but for some reason they chose to pull back on this right at the buzzer. I would recommend this to anyone who likes Science fiction as a worthy watch. My final score 3.5 stars.