[6]

Writer/director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Mud) serves up a supernatural drama about a father (Michael Shannon) trying to smuggle his son cross-country while avoiding both the government and the religious cult from which they escaped. Turns out the boy is gifted with strange powers that continue revealing themselves throughout the film. Is he an alien? Is it a government conspiracy? Nichols is hoping you’ll care enough to keep watching. I enjoy Nichols’ style and the casting enough to keep watching, but after a genuinely gripping and mysterious opening fifteen minutes, Midnight Special reveals its hand and my interest began deflating. Good performances from Shannon and co-stars Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, and Adam Driver. And it’s always nice to see Sam Shepard in a movie.