When it came time to assemble my list of most anticipated films of the year (without superheroes in them), there were a few that just narrowly didn’t make the cut. Among those movies was definitely ‘Midnight Special’, the latest film from acclaimed indie writer/director Jeff Nicols. After making major waves with his previous films ‘Take Shelter’ and ‘Mud’, the filmmaker is bringing his uniquely grounded style to a big studio genre film for the first time. That’s pretty exciting to just think about, but now you can get an idea of what that’s actually like thanks to the latest trailer for the film that reunites Nicols with Michael Shannon once again.
Following the film’s premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, many viewers noted that it’s best to go into ‘Midnight Special’ as blank of a slate as possible. Luckily, the previews keep a whole lot of secrets from the audience. We can pick up that a father and son are on the run from a government representative of some sort played by Adam Driver who wants to learn more about the young boy’s mysterious powers, but beyond that, the latest trailer does a great job of establishing the intense mood of the movie and the inspirations of some sci-fi staples that clearly inspired the story such as ‘Starman’, ‘E.T.’, and ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’. You can check out exactly what we mean in the recently released UK trailer below courtesy of Entertainment One, followed by the official synopsis:
Roy is a father desperate to protect his uniquely gifted, eight-year-old son in this genre-defying thriller which proves once again that director Jeff Nichols is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time. As father and son go on the run, an intense chase ensues as they are hunted down by a mysterious cult and a clandestine government agency – the outcome of which could bring about a world-changing event.
Despite keeping everything pretty vague, I’m pretty hooked by the vibes that ‘Midnight Special’ gives off. Sure, the pedigree of talent featured in front of and behind the camera are enough to get someone interested in this project, but the trailer still does a great job of drawing in it’s audience into the mystery of the whole thing. Hopefully Warner Bros. doesn’t drop the ball and give away too much before the film’s release next month.
What do you think about the latest trailer for Jeff Nicols’ ‘Midnight Special’? Are you intrigued by the stage set for this sci-fi chase film? Let us know in the comments.
‘Midnight Special’ starring Michael Shannon, Jaeden Lieberher, Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton, Sam Shepard, and Adam Driver opens in theaters on March 18th, 2016.
