Nichols wrote the script as a reflection of him becoming a father. Nichols wanted final cut for the film, so he originally considered to make the film with an independent film studio rather than at Warner Bros Pictures. It wasn't until his last meeting with Warner Bros that he informed them of this. However, the producers at the company still agreed to make the film, due to the small budget needed for it. By late January 2014, Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Jaeden Lieberher, Sam Shepard, Bill Camp, and Paul Sparks were cast. At the same time, with a budget of $18 million, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in early March. Filming took place in New Orleans, Louisiana. Warner Bros initially set the film for a November 25, 2015 release date, but in July 2015, it was moved back to March 18, 2016.
The film stars Shannon, Edgerton, Dunst, Driver, Lieberher, Shepard, Camp, and Sparks. The riveting performances turn what on paper is a fairly simple climax into quite the emotional wallop. Shannon simmers for much of the film, anxious and always teetering on the borders of overprotectiveness - when these attributes are put to the test - he more than rises to the challenge, it's simply jawdropping. Dunst is just as preoccupying here as in the better films she's appeared in recent years.
Boasting an unstoppable intensity throughout, the tension builds to near unbearable levels in this effective and powerful portrait of a father's mission to protect his son. Dig beneath the surface and you'll find a sweet and very powerful tale about the strength and the resilience that can be found in the bond between father and son. While the film doesn't shrink from taking up an audience and playing with it, it's made with an exceptional eye and ear sympathetic to the anxieties that it dramatizes. What makes Nichols' film so satisfying, at least until the melodrama of the final act, is the deftness of the characterisations and the constant sense that things are probably considerably more complex than they're perceived. Nichols walks a tightrope between giving us a gritty science fiction thriller of a boy with special powers on the run with his father from the government and religious extremists, and a sobering lesson on the unbreakable bond between a father and his son. While the film isn't by any means perfect - Nichols could use a refresher course on editing - it's a powerful film, displaying a devolvement into insanity that ultimately proves to be quite visionary. I would definitely recommend watching Midnight Special for the incredible action sequences and the great performances. It will definitely leave you thinking and there's something to be said for that.
Simon says Midnight Special receives:
Boasting an unstoppable intensity throughout, the tension builds to near unbearable levels in this effective and powerful portrait of a father's mission to protect his son. Dig beneath the surface and you'll find a sweet and very powerful tale about the strength and the resilience that can be found in the bond between father and son. While the film doesn't shrink from taking up an audience and playing with it, it's made with an exceptional eye and ear sympathetic to the anxieties that it dramatizes. What makes Nichols' film so satisfying, at least until the melodrama of the final act, is the deftness of the characterisations and the constant sense that things are probably considerably more complex than they're perceived. Nichols walks a tightrope between giving us a gritty science fiction thriller of a boy with special powers on the run with his father from the government and religious extremists, and a sobering lesson on the unbreakable bond between a father and his son. While the film isn't by any means perfect - Nichols could use a refresher course on editing - it's a powerful film, displaying a devolvement into insanity that ultimately proves to be quite visionary. I would definitely recommend watching Midnight Special for the incredible action sequences and the great performances. It will definitely leave you thinking and there's something to be said for that.
Simon says Midnight Special receives:
