Midnight Special
Directed by Jeff Nichols
Un hombre, Roy (Michael Shannon), y su hijo de 8 años Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) son perseguidos por el gobierno cuando el niño desarrolla poderes especiales.
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Midnight Special Ratings & Reviews
- Shaydeknight23 de abril de 2026This film is a controlled, deliberate piece of science fiction that understands tone better than other similar films. It's patient and restrained but utterly entrancing. The "cult ranch" element is a fantastic foundation. It draws from recognizable strains of American apocalyptic belief, close to the Branch Davidians in presentation. The mythology feels utterly plausible and completely realistic, which allows the film to offer a simple and engaging backstory without losing credibility. Jeff Nichols directs really well here. There's no massive information dump, the situation is disclosed bit by bit which makes it all the more intriguing. There's no attempt to pad the premise with pseudo-scientific language. The narrative trusts that the viewer will accept being a part of the film's journey rather than having to offer explicit clarification. The breathtaking final reveal works because it's not over-prepared, it arrives as a culmination. The performances are stark but realistic. Michael Shannon anchors the film with a rigid, almost ascetic focus. Joel Edgerton plays competence without theatrics, a man solving problems as they spring up. Kirsten Dunst strips her maternal role down to something quiet, protective, and utterly credible. Jaeden Martell does a fine job for his age by remaining opaque without disengaging the audience. The film's moral structure was, for me, one of the best things I've seen in a while. No faction is reduced to villainy. The parents act with urgency and purpose because they're trying to help their child. The cult operates within its own coherent belief system and unlike real-world cults, they're clearly not insane because they actually have a tangible messiah on their hands. The government responds sensibly as an institution confronted with an unquantifiable threat. Each group behaves rationally within its frame, which sustains tension without artificial conflict. Each person is right and justified in his/her actions, and that makes the story that much better. No one acts stupidly just to move the plot. Action sequences are grounded and functional. They emerge from decisions rather than spectacle. Movement, geography, and consequence are clearly defined, which gives even small moments weight. The risk in the film's approach is sparseness. Because it offers no comprehensive explanation of its underlying mechanics, it leaves little margin for viewers expecting a fully articulated system. I think that restraint is the point. It holds together because every element serves the same objective. Nothing is overstated, nothing is wasted, and the film ends without diluting its central idea. In short, I genuinely enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would!
- Abe Froman13 de febrero de 2026Stone-faced the whole time like “yeah cool lasers, whatever.” Meanwhile I’m emotionally compromised because a dad said one soft sentence. Disgusting. Loved it.
- Kevin Ward12 de julio de 2025A solidly entertaining flick that give me E.T. vibes except with a mostly adult cast. The supernatural mystery of it was engaging, but would have liked a bit more depth and development of the characters involved. We really don’t learn much about any of them despite there being hints of a deep history intertwined with folks at “the ranch”. Not the best kids movie, per se. It held both my sons’ attention throughout, but I don’t really think they came away from it with anything other than neutral feelings towards it. I think this is a solid one time watch, though.
- N12 de febrero de 2026I appreciated the cool concept in this film, it was endearing but something was missing to round it out and carry it through better
- Patrick Wai16 de noviembre de 2025Even with the presence of two big stars (Driver and Dunst) they couldn't make the movie interesting enough. The story is a one-trick pony and the ending ran out of steam.
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Midnight Special Trivia
Midnight Special was released on 18 de febrero de 2016.
Midnight Special was directed by Jeff Nichols.
Midnight Special has a runtime of 1h 52min.
Midnight Special was produced by Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Sarah Green.
Un hombre, Roy (Michael Shannon), y su hijo de 8 años Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) son perseguidos por el gobierno cuando el niño desarrolla poderes especiales.
The key characters in Midnight Special are Roy Tomlin (Michael Shannon), Alton Meyer (Jaeden Martell), Lucas (Joel Edgerton).
Midnight Special is rated 12.
Midnight Special is a Suspense, Adventure, Drama film.
Midnight Special has an audience rating of 6.7 out of 10.
Midnight Special had a budget of 18 MUS$.
Midnight Special has made 7,1 MUS$ at the box office.