Curiosity can be a powerful tool in film. It draws viewers into a narrative, grabbing their attention as they try to piece together various parts of a story.
But a movie that hinges on curiosity flirts with unsatisfying results. For every question that a viewer asks, there must be an answer. Often, the answers that a film offers diminish whatever intrigue that it once had.
Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, “Midnight Special” is a perfect example of how curiosity can simultaneously succeed and fail for a movie. Nichols’ latest science-fiction drama focuses on a boy with undefined supernatural powers as he and his family run from both a religious cult that wants to worship him and a government that is threatened by him.
Immediately throwing viewers into darkness, the film opens in a dark motel room with two men and a young boy. The windows are boarded up and the door’s peephole is covered with tape. After peering outside to make sure it is safe, the two men pack their bags with guns and tell the boy that it is time to leave. Little is known about the dynamics between these three, other than the fact they are currently wanted for kidnapping the boy.
As it unfolds, we gradually learn what is going on. Taken from a religious cult known as “The Ranch,” Alton Meyer (Jaeden Lieberher) is a young boy who has unknown superpowers. On the road with his biological father, Roy (Michael Shannon), and Roy’s friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton), Alton is taken from safehouse to safehouse as they evade both The Ranch and the government. Along the way, the three reunite with Alton’s biological mother, Sarah (Kirsten Dunst).
While Alton and his family are on the run, NSA agent Paul Sevier (Adam Driver) leads the government’s efforts to find and capture Alton. In this understated role, Adam Driver gives an incredible performance, conveying his character’s every thought and apprehension while doing and saying little.
Not much is known about the motives of Roy, Lucas and Sarah other than their simple desire to keep Alton safe. No one is certain of what Alton is capable, but they know he is destined for great things. These uncertainties — Alton’s undefined powers and his family’s unclear motives — provide the film with a compelling sense of curiosity during its first hour.
Yet the latter half of “Midnight Special” tends to accentuate its own flaws. The reveal of Alton’s powers and his purpose prove to be quite underwhelming. The general slow pacing of the film undermines its suspense and mystery as it develops into a slow drag.
Most importantly, perhaps, “Midnight Special’s” focal character is dramatically underdeveloped. Despite being centered on how the world reacts to young Alton, we know nearly nothing about him or his personality beyond his admiration for comic books. Moreover, Alton undergoes a massive character shift mid-movie, going from a passive, scared boy to a self-assured boy wonder. In a movie where plot and characters develop at slow, gradual pace, this dramatic transition feels like a cheap trick that serves only to move the plot forward.
“Midnight Special” hinges on curiosity and uncertainty. However, the unsatisfying answers to these uncertainties and the general slow pacing of the film prove detrimental.
**MOVE gives “Midnight Special” 2.5 out of 5 stars.**
