Midnight Special (film)
| Midnight Special | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jeff Nichols |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Jeff Nichols |
| Starring | |
| Music by | David Wingo |
| Cinematography | Adam Stone |
| Edited by | Julie Monroe |
Production company |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 111 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18 million[2] |
Midnight Special is a 2016 American science fiction action-thriller film written and directed by Jeff Nichols. The film stars Adam Driver,[3] Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, and Joel Edgerton. It is Nichols' fourth feature film, and his first studio production.[4]
Nichols has described Midnight Special as a "sci-fi chase film". He stated, "However absurd that sounds, it’s more grounded than Mud. I really wanted to make a 1980s John Carpenter film like Starman. I love the way those films look."[5] It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival.[6]
Plot
Roy (Michael Shannon) is a father desperate to protect his uniquely gifted, eight-year-old son Alton (Jaeden Lieberher). Joined by his accomplice, Lucas, and his ex-wife, Sarah, this group must race to get Alton to a secret location all while being hunted by an extreme religious sect led by Calvin Meyer and a government task force headed up by Paul Sevier. It is a full-on chase, the outcome of which could bring about a world-changing event.[7]
Cast
- Michael Shannon as Roy
- Joel Edgerton as Lucas
- Kirsten Dunst as Sarah
- Adam Driver as Paul Sevier
- Sam Shepard as Calvin Meyer
- Jaeden Lieberher as Alton
- Paul Sparks as Agent Miller
- Nathan Brimmer as an FBI agent
- Scott Haze as Levi
- James DuMont as the base commander
- Billy Slaughter as Agent Cole
- Sean Bridgers as Fredrick
Production
Principal photography commenced on January 20, 2014[8] for 40 days in New Orleans, and wrapped on March 1, 2014.[9] It is produced by Sarah Green and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, with Glen Basner and Christos V. Konstantakopoulos as the executive producers.[10]
It is backed and primarily distributed by Warner Bros., with UK distribution handled by eOne.[11] Warner Bros set the film for November 25, 2015 release,[12] but in July 2015 has moved the film back to March 18, 2016.[13]
Reception
Critical response
Midnight Special has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a rating of 88%, based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10.[14] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 78 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15]
References
- ↑ "MIDNIGHT SPECIAL (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. February 2, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ↑ https://www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/1404-Fall-2014/Indie-to-Mainstream.aspx
- ↑ Sneider, Jeff (21 November 2013). "Adam Driver Joins Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst in WB’s Sci-Fi Drama ‘Midnight Special’". TheWrap.com. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
- ↑ Lodge, Guy (13 August 2013). "Kirsten Dunst joins Michael Shannon and Joel Edgerton in Jeff Nichols' 'Midnight Special'". HitFix.com. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ Rosser, Michael (28 April 2013). "Q&A: Jeff Nichols, director, Mud". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ "Berlinale 2016: First Films for Competition and Berlinale Special". Berlinale. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
- ↑ Joseph, Matt. "New Details About Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special Shed More Light On The Plot". WeGotThisCovered.
- ↑ Sullivan, Kevin (August 7, 2013). "Jeff Nichols, The Director Of 'Mud', Talks About His New Sci-Fi Movie, 'Midnight Special'". MTV. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ↑ "PRODUCTION HOTLINE". Retrieved 10 March 2014.
- ↑ Fleming, Jr., Mike (May 8, 2013). "Michael Shannon To Reteam With 'Mud' Helmer Jeff Nichols On Warner Bros Project". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (June 4, 2013). "eOne takes Jeff Nichols' Midnight Special for UK". ScreenDaily. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ↑ "Warner Bros Pushes Ben Affleck's 'Live By Night', Dates 'Midnight Special' & 3 Others". Deadline Hollywood. May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Jeff Nichols’ ‘Midnight Special’ Pushed Into 2016". Deadline.com. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
- ↑ "Midnight Special (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
- ↑ "Midnight Special reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
External links
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