Read Mixed User Reviews for Midnight Special

5

judahjsnApr 16, 2016

Frustratingly dull and even pretentious feeling. Mud and Take Shelter were perfect films and none of the things that made them successful were much present in Midnight Special. For instance, the special effects in Midnight Special drewFrustratingly dull and even pretentious feeling. Mud and Take Shelter were perfect films and none of the things that made them successful were much present in Midnight Special. For instance, the special effects in Midnight Special drew attention to the movie's low budget, whereas in Take Shelter the low tech, barely there use of visual effects actually increased the feeling of realness. I hate to trash the work of a filmmaker I admire but I really regretted seeing this and would warn against it.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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4

ellosApr 1, 2016

dull and self serious, i wanted to throw a sheet over all their heads! this invisible layer of higher consciousness actually exists. it's dubai. R.I.P zaha hadid.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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4

doodlermanMar 22, 2016

Midnight Special, for me, was a disappointment. It has a great start, but devolves into a convoluted, frustrating work that's ultimately pointless on the surface level. I'm certain there's a deeper meaning, but unlike Jeff Nichols' previousMidnight Special, for me, was a disappointment. It has a great start, but devolves into a convoluted, frustrating work that's ultimately pointless on the surface level. I'm certain there's a deeper meaning, but unlike Jeff Nichols' previous work, which I've loved, I don't feel the slightest bit compelled to dig deeper. It's essentially a religious E.T. flick. The only problem, is that it's never clear what the significance of this religious figure of a kid really is. Maybe it's worth a second viewing to find out more, but the frustrating amount of ambiguity is daunting to even think about.

The cast is mostly great - Adam Driver being a particularly fun addition, simply because of his character's comedic awkwardness and overall relatable lack of understanding. I took issue with Jaeden Lieberher's performance - he plays Alton, the Jesus-angel-kid - simply because he lacked emotion for most of the movie. He was a stoic mystery, which is fine on paper, but it's not a character you can relate to - especially considering all of what he's been through during the events of the film.

It's difficult to play off faith in something, and while Midnight Special makes it absolutely clear that whatever Alton's goal is, it's the real deal, I couldn't help but feel everyone was just blindly following him. I was expecting Alton to have some kind of darker role in the grand scheme of things, but in the end, I can't really say he even has a good role. It ends as ambiguously as it started and based on what the movie gives us, it feels painfully pointless.… Expand

4 of 7 users found this helpful43

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5

BHBarryMar 24, 2016

"Midnight Special" was written and directed by Jeff Nichols ("99 Homes") and stars Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Jaeden Lieberher, Adam Driver and Kirsten Dunst. This is not a good film and, as in so many instances where the writer and"Midnight Special" was written and directed by Jeff Nichols ("99 Homes") and stars Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Jaeden Lieberher, Adam Driver and Kirsten Dunst. This is not a good film and, as in so many instances where the writer and director are one and the same, that third party objectivity regarding the film’s elements and scenes is absent. Most writer-directors find it difficult to cut or edit the scenes they both wrote and direccted and become almost paternal in ther possession of these elements. Here, in what purports to be a science fiction drama, the real fault is in the story and screenplay itself for the audience is confused and never completely aware of who the characters are and what they represent to the story. Worse than all of this is that it takes almost 2 hours to watch this endeavor and, at the end, the viewer is still not sure of the things the writer could have more easily made clear. I give the film a 6.0 rating and suggest that there is nothing "special: about the film, be it "midnight" or at any other time.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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5

TrilobiteGJul 14, 2016

Midnight special is a colossal disappointment. A hugely potential film which has all it's technicalities spot on, yet the production team seemed stuck at what to fill in a grey area of space with. Grey space they tried to make special,Midnight special is a colossal disappointment. A hugely potential film which has all it's technicalities spot on, yet the production team seemed stuck at what to fill in a grey area of space with. Grey space they tried to make special, signifying nothing. A cloudy film which wanders and happens with no harm done, but it's an eyesore in otherwise compelling blue patches of sky.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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4

TornadoCreatorApr 20, 2016

This film started out interesting and had the potential to be something quite memorable, but ultimately it proved itself to be boring and drawn out and somehow lacking in major plot points. People would knowingly say vague statements to eachThis film started out interesting and had the potential to be something quite memorable, but ultimately it proved itself to be boring and drawn out and somehow lacking in major plot points. People would knowingly say vague statements to each other throughout and I was thinking that perhaps there would be a reveal at the ending that would retroactively make all those scenes seem powerful and impactful but there wasn't. I never would have expected to say this, but this film was badly in need of an exposition dump, if only to explain what the motives, goals, and knowledge base for the characters actually is. I go to the cinema to be told a **** story, not to be shown some loosely connected nonsense and be expected to invent the potential story in my own head. To be more specifically critical, the acting was largely wooden, the ending was extremely disappointing and anti-climactic, and the religious cult aspect was totally wasted; built up, forgotten about, brought back briefly, then resolved off screen... the hell?! This film was an frankly an absolute mess.… Expand

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4

mark_sfJul 15, 2016

For me it seemed like a very promising film for the first half. Part "E.T"., part "Powder". Lots of mystery, good acting and character development.

And then it just all falls apart. Scene after scene of this mystery child exhibitingFor me it seemed like a very promising film for the first half. Part "E.T"., part "Powder". Lots of mystery, good acting and character development.

And then it just all falls apart. Scene after scene of this mystery child exhibiting his weird special powers, some of which seem to have been thrown in the movie simply because they were a gimmick that had not been used before, but did nothing at all to make the child's story coherent or compelling. The last half hour is a chore to watch, as the director clearly intended for the audience to have emotional investment it what was happening, but it had not been earned. The last 15 minutes were not just a chore, but an embarrassment to all the actors of good reputation involved in this film.… Expand

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5

NerdConsultantApr 11, 2016

this is a film that has the blueprints for a great sic-fi story but it never fully builds on it. everything is just a bit to vague and it feels like it's not been completely thought out. it's a shame cause this could have been good and thethis is a film that has the blueprints for a great sic-fi story but it never fully builds on it. everything is just a bit to vague and it feels like it's not been completely thought out. it's a shame cause this could have been good and the actors give good performances, plus for the budget the effect are half decent but i can't bring myself to like it.… Expand

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6

43in2014Aug 3, 2016

Background: There is no former film that is related to this one.

Pros: The film was able to keep me guessing as to what was reason behind the boy's medical condition. Cons: The reveal was a little bit underwhelming, though if they hadBackground: There is no former film that is related to this one.

Pros: The film was able to keep me guessing as to what was reason behind the boy's medical condition.

Cons: The reveal was a little bit underwhelming, though if they had invoked aliens, I would have dropped my score of this film down further.

Who would think the film is great? No one
Who would think the film is only so-so? Children and adults.
Who would think the film is lousy? No one.

Rating: 3/5 (no half scores). Save your money and watch it on TV.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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5

HotelCentralMay 1, 2017

Were I able to give this film two rankings I would rate it a 7 for an entertaining ride and perhaps a 1 for its conclusion. The characters are interesting and ably played. The storyline kept me wondering what the heck was really going on.Were I able to give this film two rankings I would rate it a 7 for an entertaining ride and perhaps a 1 for its conclusion. The characters are interesting and ably played. The storyline kept me wondering what the heck was really going on. For a modern audience the film might be seen as somewhat lacking in explosive special effects and of course there are no giant robots or laser weapons or car chases reaching speeds of 100 mph or more. However, things do happen, and several gun shots are fired and at least one door is knocked in, so it would be fair to say that the film is not devoid of action. The main problem, of course, is the conclusion. Yes, it does display some eye candy but once again we have a film in which a great mystery plays a role and once again the final reel ends without any real explanation as to what the mystery is really all about. And in fact if one looks at the bonus vids one discovers that there is no explanation because the people who made the film did not devise anything to prop up the false facade of what appears to be a great mystery. So it's all smoke and mirrors, an illusion, a mere mirage briefly glimpsed in the vast desert of superficial Hollywood films. Ho-hum. The irony here is that the executive director of this film is now secretary of the US Treasury, appointed by a man who himself is little more than a mere mirage.… Expand

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6

BiasSep 14, 2016

The aftertaste makes me give it a lower score. Interesting story, good acting, all that crap was pretty spot on. It had a sliver of that feel in No Country for Old Men. Might be worth a watch for the positive points mentioned, but in the endThe aftertaste makes me give it a lower score. Interesting story, good acting, all that crap was pretty spot on. It had a sliver of that feel in No Country for Old Men. Might be worth a watch for the positive points mentioned, but in the end it left me feeling unimpressed. I overate on the popcorn.… Expand

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5

BobbyLikesMovieMar 23, 2017

Earlier in 2016, I saw Midnight Special and it was okay. This movie was considered as a heart-warming science fiction tale about a father protecting his son who has strange powers. I feel like the heart in this movie was handled well. TheEarlier in 2016, I saw Midnight Special and it was okay. This movie was considered as a heart-warming science fiction tale about a father protecting his son who has strange powers. I feel like the heart in this movie was handled well. The performances were pretty well acted and added a lot of depth especially Michael Shannon’s. And it is told pretty nicely through well-handled cinematography. Almost everything is well-handled in this movie but the plot and the film editing suck. Let me explain:

The Film Editing: There is one action scene in particular that is cut with too many takes. That scene felt very loose and very poorly edited. Most likely the director is not familiar on how to shoot action scenes. Jeff Nichols, the director, has had his fair share of interesting more dramatic movies (i.e Loving) proof that he is not familiar with action scenes. Film editing is an integral part of a science fiction film and having this quality screwed up is very poor for the movie. A lot of the CGI scenes look poorly edited and laughable. The scenes with the son are more laughable. But all in all, the film editing was pretty bad but basically: it did not look real. The Plot!!!!: The plot is does not ground itself as something very important or serious. There is a substantial amount of scenes that show heart and love, but nothing really grounds itself as something significant or impactful. Everything feels very low in scale. It lacks significance. This plot needs more enlightening or more seriousness. The scope or the lengths that the story wants to take does not match how drab the plot is. It makes the whole concept of the movie unimportant. In addition, the whole theme about love seems dull and unimportant. It makes the film pointless when you have a dull theme and a drab plot. It cannot manage to grab the audience’s attention. It wants to be something powerful, but it falls flat on its face. In actuality, it makes the movie seem very T.V movie-ish.

However, the scope and the performances are all well-handled. I think the problem is that although Jeff Nichols has a passion for the subject, he does not have the talent to create competent movie on this subject. It is very well-handled, but the director cannot manage to create an experience that is memorable and powerful as much as he wants to. I really wanted to give this movie a 7/10, but there were just a lot of problems. So I gave it a 5/10 meaning it was an okay experience or a mediocre experience. This is a very polarizing movie so you can probably enjoy it or not. But this movie is smack dab in the middle for me.… Expand

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6

CoreGamer1408Sep 7, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ok so dimension kid version of ET go home? A cast of really good actors stuck with a meandering script. This is basically a short style Twilight Zone episode worth of content stretched out to a unecessary film length.… Expand

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