Midnight Special - review: Thriller about a sinister sect is unlikely to become a cult hit - The Mirror

Mirror film critic David Edwards ran out of patience with this high-minded but exasperating drama that felt three times longer than its already hefty running time

Sci-fi, superstition and deep daftness collide in a high-minded but exasperating drama that feels three times longer than its already hefty running time.

Think of it as the sort of serious-minded silliness that’s become the hallmark of another director, M Night Shyamalan.

After abducting his eight-year-old son from the clutches of a Waco-like sect, Michael Shannon heads across the American South while keeping one step ahead of the cult’s heavies and a government task force headed by Adam Driver.

Also along for the ride is his old buddy (Joel Edgerton) and Kirsten Dunst.

As the fugitives cross through Texas, the lad’s supernatural powers, which allow him to bring down satellites and pick up radio waves, suggest he’s from another world.

Writer-director Jeff Nichols (Mud, Take Shelter) offers an intriguing idea but simply murders it with heavy-handed allusions to the Bible and even Superman.

It’s made even worse by endless scenes of the outlaws driving down darkened back roads.

Movie Name Midnight Special Year 2016 Directed by Jeff Nichols Running time 111 mins Starring Michael Shannon Joel Edgerton Kirsten Dunst Jaeden Lieberher