**This post contains spoilers**
The Story- Pursued by a cult and the government, a young boy named Alton (Jaeden Martell) with supernatural abilities only means of survival and safety is to reach a secluded location before he runs out of time. Protected by ex cult members, including his father, Roy (Michael Shannon) and his mother, Sarah (Kirsten Dunst), Alton does his best to maintain his composure during a rocky journey. Roy’s childhood friend, Lucas (Joel Edgerton) is a dedicated and trusted supporter, but the group is severely outnumbered.
Pastor Calvin Meyer (Sam Shepard) is determined to bring Alton back to the cult to fulfill a prophecy. The government closes in, but Alton, Roy, Sarah, and Lucas find an unlikely ally in Paul Sevier (Adam Driver).
My Thoughts- Alton is a unique prodigy. He’s smart. Alton has incredible powers, but he’s still a child. Alton knows what’s at stake, and he fully accepts his destiny, but Alton is also scared.
Towards the end of the film, Alton finally manages to control and smoothly use his powers. He’s confident, but not cocky or dangerous. The scene where Alton is being interrogated at the military base is a great example. Alton could’ve easily been more aggressive, using his powers for a more destructive escape. Instead, he was polite, but also firm during the interrogation. He created a diversion, so he could quietly sneak away with Paul to reunite with his family.
Roy, Sarah, Lucas, and Paul were all willing to risk their lives to protect Alton. Why? It’s not because he has cool powers. They all believed in HIM. Alton is a good person. He’s someone who’s worth fighting for, and through no fault of his own, he’s an outcast, who needs a strong support system.
Jaeden Martell is fantastic, delivering an earnest and vulnerable performance. It’s also a nice touch to throw in some irony with Alton being enamored with Superman comics. He’s a kid, who’s understandably blown away by a popular fictional character, while also not realizing he’s basically a real-life Superman in his own way.
Micheal Shannon delivers a strong performance as Roy. Shannon does a good job of showing believable desperation and anger, with great facial expressions. Roy is a dedicated, loving, and fearless father, who will do anything to protect his son. Roy risked everything, including having the guts to save his son from the cult after Pastor Meyer crossed the line by stealing Alton from him. And Roy fiercely protects Alton, while the cult and every government agency in the US is breathing down his neck.
Joel Edgerton really nails Lucas, the trusted and devoted friend. Edgerton’s best scenes involve Roy, when both men clash on what lines should or shouldn’t be crossed to protect Alton, and Lucas knowing his place, when it comes to making big decisions about Alton.
You can clearly see Sarah is lonely. She finds some happiness again, when she reunites with Alton and Roy, and Dunst did a good job of capturing Sarah’s emotions. Sam Shepard, filling the role of a cult leader, makes the most of his short screen time. Shepard is a reliable veteran actor, and his character represents everything you’d expect from a cult leader. Calvin Meyer is a textbook narcissist and a master at manipulation, forcibly adopting Alton, when he realized Alton was the one person, who could justify his delusional vision.
Paul Sevier is an important character. He’s basically the man who’s responsible for safely delivering Alton to Roy and Sarah after the government captures him. Adam Driver is believably quirky and timid as Paul. Paul is really the only character with any comedic moments throughout the movie. Driver is never too goofy or over the top. Paul’s comedy fits perfectly in certain scenes, and Paul’s well-placed funny moments work as a convenient break from Midnight Special’s overall seriousness and emotional drama.
The father/son relationship between Roy and Alton is the foundation for Midnight Special. The little details and nuances for Roy protecting Alton are noticeable from the opening scene until the end of the movie.
Roy doesn’t hold his hand. He carries Alton. The scene at the gas station, where the lady almost removes Alton’s goggles? Roy SPRINTS across the gas station before the lady has a chance to touch him. Roy is protective of Alton, but he’s not overprotective, especially when you consider the consequences and the unprecedented circumstances surrounding Alton.
There’s also a stretch in the film, where Alton is clearly sick. It’s a gut-wrenching experience for a parent to see their children ill and suffering, and in Roy’s case, he can’t just waltz into a hospital with Alton. Sarah and Lucas panicked, when Alton couldn’t breathe on the highway, but Roy confidently trusts Alton’s decisions.
Roy knows at some point he’s going to have to say goodbye to Alton, and he’ll most likely never see his son again. Of course there’s a fictional twist to it, but there’s some realism about a parent trusting their child to make the right decisions for their future. Roy is forced to make sacrifices, and Roy strongly supports Alton, but it’s tough. He has to push through the heartbreak of losing his only child to do the right thing.
Midnight Special undoubtedly has a lot of answered questions. What’s the exact reason for Alton needing to join the others in the unseen world? Is it because Alton is sick, and there’s a chance he’ll die, if he stays on earth? Alton’s deteriorating health becomes a real problem at one point, sparking serious concerns from Lucas. Are the people from the unseen world supernatural humans? Aliens?
If you’re looking for concrete answers, you won’t find any here. Midnight Special doesn’t rely on spoon-feeding crucial plot points. Writer/director Jeff Nichols presents thought-provoking questions, and you’ll see enough clues to form your own conclusions. Alton is clearly important, because he’s greeted by people from the unseen world. The unseen world has a sleek and futuristic look to it, but it’s also built with ordinary materials. It’s a sign that the unseen world is old, possibly dating back to ancient times, and the people from the unseen world are not malicious.
One big plot hole that drives me nuts happens, when Roy and the others chase after Doak (Bill Camp) and Levi (Scott Haze) after they kidnap Alton. The Army soldier stops Roy, and the soldier looks directly at Roy. The soldier aggressively instructs Roy to rejoin the other cars on the road, and that’s it? Why didn’t the soldiers detain Roy and the others? Why did they just let him go? Keep in mind we’re at a point in the movie, where Roy’s face has been all over the news, so there’s no excuse for the soldiers to not recognize him.
There’s a handful of awe-inspiring scenes and visuals throughout the movie. The final full reveal for the gargantuan and extravagant unseen world, the scenes featuring Alton using or losing control of his powers, and my personal favorite scene at the gas station, where Alton takes out the satellite.
Midnight Special is a tense and emotional sci-fi thriller, featuring a superb cast. A lot of believable close calls throughout the movie, and the big finale was executed to perfection. Shannon, Martell, Dunst, and Edgerton all did a wonderful job of selling the nervousness and the strong sense of urgency from the main characters. The group knew they only had one chance to get it right, to safely deliver Alton to the open field. There was no room for mistakes or any botches.
The sci-fi side of the film never overwhelms or undercuts a story about love, family, friendship, sacrifices, and an unbreakable father and son bond. Jeff Nichols seamlessly blends everything together for a quaint film with a satisfying ending. Midnight Special joins Take Shelter as another great collaboration for Michael Shannon and Jeff Nichols, truly one of the more underrated modern sci-fi films.
Rating- 9/10
