![]() ![]() Harry Styles’ Shorts and Sweater Vest Outfit In Amazon’s ‘My Policeman’ Is So Important Stream It Or Skip It: 'Dangerous Liaisons' On Starz, An Origin Story Of The Couple Scheming Their Way Through French Society ![]() New Movies On Demand: 'See How They Run,' '8-Bit Christmas.' + More ![]() Is the Weird Al Movie Based on a True Story? How Al Yankovic Spun His Past Into A Not-So-True Biopic Stream It Or Skip It: 'Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This?' On HBO Max, If Therapy Makes The Comedian This Exuberant, Keep It Up Tough Life' On HBO Max, Growing Up Latino Wasn't Always A Party For This Comedian 24 on Netflix.Stream It Or Skip It: 'Jesus Sepulveda: Mr. In that sense, Flanagan’s trip to church certainly works in mysterious ways, but not wholly satisfying ones. That doesn’t necessarily undermine the more interesting aspects, but as it closes the books, “Midnight Mass” triggers too much soul-searching about whether it was worth the time investment. The climax, however, is more puzzling than stirring, proving chaotic in ways that ultimately don’t make much sense. There’s also an interesting if somewhat underdeveloped subplot about the Muslim sheriff (Rahul Kohli) and how he and his son fit in as the church’s role becomes more inflamed.īuoyed by a cast that includes Henry Thomas and Annabeth Gish, what distinguishes “Midnight Mass” perhaps more than anything is the nature of its ideas and the extent to which Flanagan clearly wants to contemplate them while toying with horror conventions, seeking to engage the audience in unexpectedly layered fashion. When the explanations finally do come pouring out, they’re not wholly satisfying, though they provoke some serious conversations about interpreting the Bible and unexpected reactions within Paul’s flock. The first few episodes meander along without much sense of urgency (most of the episodes run more than an hour), sprinkling just enough clues to indicate that something wicked this way comes. Soon enough, strange and seemingly supernatural events begin to occur, spurring talk of miracles and religious fervor, though the origins of those acts – and Father Paul’s relationship to them – could be far more sinister. Riley reconnects with a high-school crush, Erin (Kate Siegel, reuniting with Flanagan, her husband, after the “Haunting” series), ruefully discussing how their lives didn’t go according to plan. Set on remote Crockett Island, the plot hinges on the return of Riley (“Friday Night Lights’” Zach Gilford), a young man trying to get his life back together after serving time for a fatal car accident and Father Paul (Hamish Linklater), a mysterious priest who arrives to replace the elderly clergyman who had long served the community. Students of the genre will see other derivative elements – the 1979 remake of “Nosferatu” comes to mind – in this macabre and cerebral tale, which plunges deeply into the relationship between religion and vampirism, what with the rising-from-the-dead, blood-drinking aspects of the latter. (For his part, the prolific author has already tweeted favorably about the show.) Good, because the scary buildup draws the audience in, and bad, because the finish is – as is frequently true of King-derived works – a significant letdown. Created by “The Haunting of Hill House’s” Mike Flanagan, the Netflix series deserves praise for its distinctive ambitions and jolting surprises but too often plays like a long-winded sermon, frittering around the edges of its homily.įlanagan wrote the screenplay for the 2019 Stephen King movie “Doctor Sleep,” which is appropriate, since this seven-episode project feels like a King miniseries, for good and ill. ![]() As is often the case with such fare, “Midnight Mass” begins as a creepy, provocative horror yarn and finally can’t deliver on its promise. ![]()
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