From the very beginning, hes been a master of dread, atmosphere, and tensionand this movie has a lot of all three. The second trailer for jeff nichols midnight special offers a better look at some of the films specific plot details. Midnight specialevents overview the movie opens with an amber alert canvassing the south and the larger texas area, and the nearby states. People want a spielberg movie and instead they get a nichols movie. But midnight special aspires to, and often attains, that kind of deep wonder. In every other respect, jeff nichols compelling scifi chase film is terse and elliptical, showing little and telling less. Midnight specials intriguing mysteries may not resolve themselves to every viewers. Some new details about jeff nichols midnight special have revealed more about the films plot. Austinbased filmmaker jeff nichols serves up some of the familiar themes of spiritualism and parenting seen in his first three films.
Michael shannon and his son are on the run bob chipman feb 15, 2016 the second trailer for jeff nichols midnight special offers. Apr 16, 2016 midnight special is a indie scifi film written and directed by jeff nichols and starring michael shannon, joel edgerton and kirsten dunst. So many modern blockbusters err on the side of handholding, underlining their plots and character motivations with consistent expository dialogue or overly defined narration. Midnight special is a wellcrafted science fiction mystery akin to the seventies classic, close encounters of the third kind. Midnight special is a 2016 american science fiction film written and directed by jeff nichols, and produced by sarah green and brian kavanaughjones.
Midnight special 2016 cast and crew the government and a group of religious extremists pursue a man michael shannon and his son jaeden lieberher, a young boy who possesses special powers. Midnight special goes off its own narrative cliff, capping a compelling story with a thirdact resolution so misguided thats its the dramatic equivalent of punching the gas and plunging into. Midnight special is the exciting and genuinely original new movie from writerdirector jeff nichols who made that brilliant movie mud which pretty much rescued the. New details about jeff nichols midnight special shed more. Michael shannon and his son are on the run bob chipman feb 15, 2016 the second trailer for jeff nichols midnight special offers a better look at some of the films specific plot details. 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. If anything, nichols sees midnight special as a kind of critique of organized religion. Jeff nichols candidly admitted that he was inspired to write midnight special after his own son nearly died at a tender age, and the fear of losing him completely paralyzed the filmmaker. So many modern blockbusters err on the side of handholding, underlining their. How midnight special proves you can make science fiction for adults director and star of spielbergesque actionscifi movie on why its still possible to deliver thrills and play it smart.
Some of the movies story ideas may seem very familiar, but its more about emotions than special effects or thrills. Alton meyer is a boy unlike any other in the world with bizarrely powerful abilities and strange weaknesses. Through both his propulsive roadchase plotengine and lensflaring visual style, nichols makes good on his claim that. 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. He pointed to the character of doak bill camp, who is tasked by the. The blockbuster masters films were about a fathers legacy, how his actions present or not impact the life of the child. 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.
New details about jeff nichols midnight special shed more light on the plot. Apr 07, 2016 midnight special is the exciting and genuinely original new movie from writerdirector jeff nichols who made that brilliant movie mud which pretty much rescued the career of matthew mcconaughey. Midnight special was in postproduction so long that he had time to make a whole other feature film. A boy is missing, and hes probably been taken by his biological father from a place called the ranch. Jeff nicholss scifi thriller midnight special is a chase movie with. 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. Fate intervenes when she meets charlie and they embark on a summer romance. Mud 2012, take shelter 2011, shotgun stories 2007, but this time he goes a bit heavier on the science fiction while maintaining his focus on the individual. Through both his propulsive roadchase plot engine and lensflaring visual style, nichols makes good on his claim that midnight special is a tribute to john carpenter. 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. Nichols drops us into the middle of a chase and demands us to pay attention and figure out whats going on.
Mar 18, 2016 yet plot and hook were distant notions. Instead, this is a story about the emotion that too often gets ignored in the sciencefiction thrillers midnight special is adjacent to and its. Jeff nicholss midnight special buries itself in secrets and a brooding, lucid sense of ambiguity, and its exciting and unbalanced in equal measure. Apr 01, 2016 people want a spielberg movie and instead they get a nichols movie. Midnight special 2016 movie trailer, release date, cast, plot. It doesnt nearly reach that level of greatness, but is a good effort. Midnight special, from jeff nichols mud, is the latest movie to split critics between decriers and devotees. However, the movie at least twice shows them using a map aimed for the florida panhandle near apalachicola. This isnt a movie about plot, and if it were, wed correctly call it trite and worn out. A kid has special powers, michael shannon kidnaps him and he has to get him somewhere. The story revolves around roy tomlin and his biological son, alton meyer, escaping from both the government and a cult, after discovering. In the opening scene of midnight special, two armed men sneak a boy. Mar 21, 2016 behind the astonishing midnight special ending. We have no idea how or why this boy has these powers.
Midnight special is a indie scifi film written and directed by jeff nichols and starring michael shannon, joel edgerton and kirsten dunst. Based on the japanese film, midnight sun centers on katie, a 17yearold sheltered since childhood and confined to her house during the day by a rare disease that makes even the smallest amount of sunlight deadly. At the ranch, a religious cult in rural texas, pastor calvin meyer dispatches two of his parishioners to retrieve alton. The film stars michael shannon, joel edgerton, kirsten dunst, adam driver, jaeden lieberher, and sam shepard. But nichols once again found himself at odds with a wing of the film establishment once again with his new movie. Midnight special is a unique blend of chase flick and scifi. Dark and grainy, set on rural backroads, i felt like i was in a low budget 70s movie. Some of the movie s story ideas may seem very familiar, but its more about emotions than special effects or thrills. Mar 23, 2018 based on the japanese film, midnight sun centers on katie, a 17yearold sheltered since childhood and confined to her house during the day by a rare disease that makes even the smallest amount of sunlight deadly.
Roy michael shannon pulls back duct tape covering the peephole in the door and sees that its night. 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. What does the ending of the movie midnight special mean, if. Everything you need to know about midnight special movie. But aside from the plot details, midnight special also stands apart from the aforementioned genre flicks, if only by virtue of whos behind the camera. The midnight special is a 1930 precode sound film produced and released by independent film maker chesterfield. 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. In reality, his father roy, along with roys lifelong friend lucas, have taken the boy from the religious compound where he.
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. Mar 18, 2016 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. It is nicholss fourth fulllength film and his first studio production. Midnight special dvd acclaimed filmmaker jeff nichols mud, take shelter proves again that he is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time in this sciencefiction thriller that reunites him with his oscarnominated take shelter collaboratorstar michael shannon. So it was with great anticipation i went to midnight special. 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. 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.
Mar, 2016 midnight special was in postproduction so long that he had time to make a whole other feature film. And the writerdirector knows that can be frustrating for some moviegoers. Their films together include blackbird 2007, the missing person 2009, return 2011, mud 2012 and midnight special 2016. The heartbreaking story that inspired jeff nichols to. Spoiler alert by the ending of the movie, im guessing you mean literally the last two seconds. 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.
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. What does the ending of the movie midnight special mean. A father michael shannon, goes on the run to protect his young son, alton jaeden lieberher, and. Hes midnight specials emotional core and plot macguffin wrapped into one whole, a seemingly alien child plagued with all kinds of peculiar. Mar 25, 2016 from the very beginning, hes been a master of dread, atmosphere, and tensionand this movie has a lot of all three.
When asked during the pr tour if hed thrown story out the air lock, jeff responded with, i didnt create this to have a kind of plot concision. Fate intervenes when she meets charlie and they embark on. In every other respect, jeff nichols compelling scifi chase film. Midnight special 2016 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Opening with a child abduction and ending with a spectacular scifi.
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. It was directed by duke worne and starred glenn tryon and merna kennedy. Midnight special filmmaker jeff nichols is telling. Mar 18, 2016 but midnight special is a chase movie, and like all chase movies it runs the risk of losing all narrative momentum once it arrives at a destination. They also appeared in the hbo tv series boardwalk empire 20102014, and have appeared in two stage plays. Midnight special can be divided into two halves separated by an abrupt plot shift that robs the film of its potential. Midnight special is a unique blend of chase flick and sci.
As cliche as this is, theres absolutely nothing special about midnight special. Midnight special 2016 jaeden martell in midnight special 2016 jesse plemons at an event for midnight. In midnight special, its about how a child affects a father. The film stars michael shannon, joel edgerton, kirsten dunst, adam driver, jaeden martell, and sam shepard. On the news, the story of a missing boy named alton meyer jaeden lieberher last seen with a man named roy, traveling in a primer grey chevelle.
Midnight special is a smartly crafted exercise in exploring what the gifted child means to different individuals and factions. In the middle of the night, his father, roy, spirits him. It was selected to compete for the golden bear at the 66th berlin. There was real joy in experiencing the movie for the first time. Loving, due later this year, is based on the story of mildred and richard loving, an. 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. Midnight special filmmaker jeff nichols is telling american. The film is wellmade, but the script is as scarce as water in the desert. Mar 18, 2016 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 special is a breathtaking display of visual storytelling. 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. 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.
Mar 16, 2016 jeff nichols candidly admitted that he was inspired to write midnight special after his own son nearly died at a tender age, and the fear of losing him completely paralyzed the filmmaker. Why midnight special director jeff nichols moved on. In a motel, roy tomlin and his childhood friend, texas state trooper lucas, watch an amber alert for 8yearold alton meyer and his reported abductor, roy, while the boy reads on the floor. But midnight special is a chase movie, and like all chase movies it runs the risk of losing all narrative momentum once it arrives at a destination. Why that midnight special ending makes perfect sense. 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. Michael shannon, joel edgerton, and kirsten dunst star in.
The heartbreaking story that inspired jeff nichols to write. The chase is joined by the fbi, a sympathetic national security agency analyst played by adam driver, and meyers emissary, doak, played by bill camp. Even if these references hint at the sort of story that midnight special. Midnight special 2016 movie trailer, release date, cast. 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. Some early scenes and plot points dont click until later in the film, and. Apr 07, 2016 midnight special, from jeff nichols mud, is the latest movie to split critics between decriers and devotees. He then faces his congregation as the fbi storms their church. The crackpot, subspielberg plot about a boy with weird powers.
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