User Reviews

Especial é um filme sensível e envolvente, que mistura ficção científica com emoção de forma delicada. Jaeden Martell se destaca com uma atuação intensa e madura, transmitindo mistério e humanidade sem exageros. A história prende pela atmosfera e pela relação entre os Personagens.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

I barely noticed it was PG-13. Good acting all around, especially the kid was effective at being different. But the last 5 minutes felt corny, unnecessary and killed the mystery. Should have ended when the boy walked into the field by himself and looked up. But then there was a bunch of other stuff that ruined the momentum. Highly recommended though

On the slower side, yes. But it never felt slow, since the superb acting and mystery kept your attention. If you find movies like "Transformers" entertaining, this probably isn't your cup of tea.

boring and bland in every aspect of the film, no innovation or creativity is presented in the film. don't waste your time for this film, or any of this director.

This is a really really good movie that has many subtle things that really gets overlooked IMO.

Pretty cool science-fiction film that is well-directed and pretty well-written with good acting, visuals and music also.

i think i know what i am now.. Midnight Special This is a mere peculiar discussed topic rather than an astonishing tale like a good old E.T. and maybe this is the reason it stands alone on its extraordinary point of view.

Definitely had a tinge of the Steven Spielberg magic throughout, with a mysterious story helped by excellent performances from Michael Shannon and Joel Edgerton. The atmosphere that was created (in part by the excellent cinematography) was often awe-inspiring, feeling ultra retro and subtly futuristic at the same time. Despite the ending being a little anti-climatic, Midnight Special is a strong sci-fi debut for Jeff Nichols.

Fantastic film. Very strong performances and a very interesting story. Movie def takes influences from "Superman" as the movie hints at during a scene.

Were I able to give this film two rankings I would rate it a 7 for an entertaining ride and perhaps a 1 for its conclusion. The characters are interesting and ably played. The storyline kept me wondering what the heck was really going on. For a modern audience the film might be seen as somewhat lacking in explosive special effects and of course there are no giant robots or laser weapons or car chases reaching speeds of 100 mph or more. However, things do happen, and several gun shots are fired and at least one door is knocked in, so it would be fair to say that the film is not devoid of action. The main problem, of course, is the conclusion. Yes, it does display some eye candy but once again we have a film in which a great mystery plays a role and once again the final reel ends without any real explanation as to what the mystery is really all about. And in fact if one looks at the bonus vids one discovers that there is no explanation because the people who made the film did not devise anything to prop up the false facade of what appears to be a great mystery. So it's all smoke and mirrors, an illusion, a mere mirage briefly glimpsed in the vast desert of superficial Hollywood films. Ho-hum. The irony here is that the executive director of this film is now secretary of the US Treasury, appointed by a man who himself is little more than a mere mirage.

Earlier in 2016, I saw Midnight Special and it was okay. This movie was considered as a heart-warming science fiction tale about a father protecting his son who has strange powers. I feel like the heart in this movie was handled well. The performances were pretty well acted and added a lot of depth especially Michael Shannon’s. And it is told pretty nicely through well-handled cinematography. Almost everything is well-handled in this movie but the plot and the film editing ****. Let me explain: The Film Editing: There is one action scene in particular that is cut with too many takes. That scene felt very loose and very poorly edited. Most likely the director is not familiar on how to shoot action scenes. Jeff Nichols, the director, has had his fair share of interesting more dramatic movies (i.e Loving) proof that he is not familiar with action scenes. Film editing is an integral part of a science fiction film and having this quality screwed up is very poor for the movie. A lot of the CGI scenes look poorly edited and laughable. The scenes with the son are more laughable. But all in all, the film editing was pretty bad but basically: it did not look real. The Plot!!!!: The plot is does not ground itself as something very important or serious. There is a substantial amount of scenes that show heart and love, but nothing really grounds itself as something significant or impactful. Everything feels very low in scale. It lacks significance. This plot needs more enlightening or more seriousness. The scope or the lengths that the story wants to take does not match how drab the plot is. It makes the whole concept of the movie unimportant. In addition, the whole theme about love seems dull and unimportant. It makes the film pointless when you have a dull theme and a drab plot. It cannot manage to grab the audience’s attention. It wants to be something powerful, but it falls flat on its face. In actuality, it makes the movie seem very T.V movie-ish. However, the scope and the performances are all well-handled. I think the problem is that although Jeff Nichols has a passion for the subject, he does not have the talent to create competent movie on this subject. It is very well-handled, but the director cannot manage to create an experience that is memorable and powerful as much as he wants to. I really wanted to give this movie a 7/10, but there were just a lot of problems. So I gave it a 5/10 meaning it was an okay experience or a mediocre experience. This is a very polarizing movie so you can probably enjoy it or not. But this movie is smack dab in the middle for me.

Whatever people saw in this meandering and utterly lackluster sci-fi americana was missed on me. Nichols has steered well off course since the brilliant Take Shelter and I hope he rights the ship soon.

This is one of those films where you come out of the cinema feeling elated and want to get everyone you know to watch it, yet you are lost for words on how to describe it and possibly wondering whether their take of this film will be as rewarding to them as it was to you. Because in reality this film is merely but an emotional journey and whether what happens on the screen makes sense or not is not really important. And you cannot really even pinpoint the genre: is it a film about parenthood, or about a getaway, or maybe perhaps about a religion and the need to believe, or even is it simply a science fiction thriller? Whatever it is Mike Nichols delivers once again a thoroughly enjoyable film with an amazing cast including Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Adam Driver, Sam Shepard and of course the young Jaeden Lieberher.

Oof. This film was a mission. It had so much promise and seemed to be an homage to 70s Sci-Fi flicks but in the end turned out to be a slowly paced, side adventure of a family trying to save their 'alien' son. Overall it wasn't a badly made film, just have seen this plot done better before.

This movie manages to throw you into the story with very little explanation while also being pretty slow and quiet. Midnight Special spends very little time answering questions or explaining what's happening. It could be frustrating to some but it just added to the magic of the story for me. There was something reminiscent of 70s-era Spielberg, where things felt just a little less safe and where the fantastic could be both inspiring and dangerous. I was really drawn into the quiet, intimate story and was invested in these characters. I found the effects really well done. They were beautiful and strange. Near the end of the film, the way they used used the effects left a huge impact. They didn't draw attention to themselves and that just made it all that much more special.

I created an account at metacritic just to warn viewers of how godawful this film is. The critics must have been huffing paint fumes infused with bath salts when they watched this snooze-fest.

The film was very slowly paced, and was more of a fantasy film than any kind of science fiction. There are so many questions. Why would the father give legal custody of his son to a cult leader? Can you actually do that, or would the court refuse? Why do the kid's powers seem to arbitrarily be whatever is needed at that point for the plot? Did his mother somehow sleep with a glow person? If not, why is he a glow person? Why are the mother, father and father's friend all in the movie, when their characters serve identical roles? It seems that some mysteries will never be answered.

The aftertaste makes me give it a lower score. Interesting story, good acting, all that crap was pretty spot on. It had a sliver of that feel in No Country for Old Men. Might be worth a watch for the positive points mentioned, but in the end it left me feeling unimpressed. I overate on the popcorn.

This was an interesting movie. Was it about a child abduction? a religious cult? a government conspiracy? superhuman powers? an alternate world on another dimension? So how did this kid get born from 2 normal human beings? It was interesting to watch but a mash up of too many ideas.

A secret road adventure during the dark hours! So the Jeff Nichols and Micahel Shannon saga continues. This is theirs 4th film together in the last nine years and all of them were well accepted. Now they are into sci-fi for this, which is kind of a road movie that resembles hundreds of other films. Only thematically, but in parts it looks different, especially for being too realistic as what the director is famous for. Finally, something is not a comedy or a full of CGI, yet still it is a wonderful sci-fi-drama with some thrill moments. It opened like the midway of the story. We obviously have to wait for a proper explanation to know what's going on, who is the child and where they're taking him. So it all begins with two armed men driving a young kid on the dark hours. Only we know is that they are protecting the boy from the government people, but the film took some time to give a clear picture of the condition. In the meantime, I started my prediction game, but I expected the film to clarify how it all began. It never cared about that part, only moved forward and that's how we're going to get some answers where a few might feel its a let down. The negative of the film is you won't fully understand it, but it is not an incomplete story, just designed that way that leaves for the viewer to add their own perspectives to where the writer left blank spaces. Like I said the people are comparing it with the similar films and I did not care about that, but I disappointed with the conclusion. It was neatly folded, I actually liked it, but it was not fresh, especially it totally mirrors 'Tomorrowland'. Now I know why Warner Bros moved it from last year to this year's release. It might be a coincident because the director who is also the writer has a good reputation, so I believe it is definitely not a steal, just a common creative that we've already seen many films like that. Overall, this film is worth, but might not satisfy the Jeff Nichols fans, because like I said plenty of times before in my reviews, now it the sci-fi era and every filmmaker and film-star want to board on that plane. So it did not spare Jeff Nichols as well. 7/10

Beautiful film with an intriguing story that captivated me. I was on the edge of my seat, wanting to know, wanting to understand. I struggled with wanting the journey to end so I could see, but also fearful and sad that it would end. A must see.

Midnight Special is a good old- school science fiction movie. The acting is superb from all the people involved, not to mention the great special effects. The most unique thing about this though is the way the story is told. The film starts right during the action and we the audience only see a dad running away with his son, who has unexplained supernatural powers. The government and a religious Texas ranch are after the boy for reasons we don't know. But the story ingeniously reveals what's going on, the backstory, and the plot in teaspoon fulls. More information is told as the film goes on. This way, the audience gets engrossed into the story as things are revealed to them along the way and the conclusion becomes unpredictable. There's just an original feel to all of this with good action and suspense. However, once the ending does come up, this original story cops out to an E.T.- esque ending in which many questions are left simply unanswered and unexplained. While details are revealed during the story, not enough of them are given. In addition, the pacing is too slow in certain areas, thus cutting down the tension. Overall though, this mostly different and original sci- fi film mostly succeeds.

I have only one word after watching this film, WOW. This is one of the best films I have ever seen in my life. The actors were good. Jaeden Lieberher portrays his character well making him intriguing. I also loved Michael Shannon and Kirsten Dunst on their portrayal as well as Adam Driver. The plot was great, it was intense and intriguing that you can't wait on the next scene.

Truly well acted by the whole cast and original enough to keep you interested until the end. You have the cult chasing after the boy they view as a prophet, The government who views him as a weapon and then you have the father who simply wants to protect his son from all this madness around him. It's definitely a love-hate movie but I really enjoyed it.

Midnight Special is a wonderfully unique and adventurous film. The acting across the board is very good, but the real star here are the technical elements. The special effects are terrific, especially in a scene where we see the boy with his eyes and the light coursing through his veins. The ending sequence also features terrific special effects and give the film a feeling along the lines of Spielberg's 70s and 80s science fiction classics due to the sense of wonder it inspires. The sense of mystery is highlighted by the film's synth-like score that really threatens to steal the show at times. Its low notes put you right on the edge and add this air of mystery that leaves you guessing until the very end. The lighting and cinematography are also top-notch, especially with the film largely taking place at night. It is always hard to shoot at night, but Midnight Special makes it look easy and, even better, the lighting lets you see everything, yet keep enough shrouded in darkness to make it both visually pleasing and mysterious. This film has a lot going on, is quite slow, and does not have a pay-off many will appreciate. However, I certainly did appreciate these elements. The slow pacing never arose as an issue because enough is going on to really keep you hooked and zoned in on what is going on in the film. Additionally, the ending is perfect simply because the proceeding 1 hour and 40 minutes were so mysterious. A mysterious ending is the only way to end this one as the characters never showed any level of understanding as to what was happening to the boy. Thus, it only makes sense that they remain in the dark along with us and get looked at as if they are crazy. Overall, Midnight Special is a special film that is wholly unique and highlights that Jeff Nichols is one of the best directors working today.

Background: There is no former film that is related to this one. Pros: The film was able to keep me guessing as to what was reason behind the boy's medical condition. Cons: The reveal was a little bit underwhelming, though if they had invoked aliens, I would have dropped my score of this film down further. Who would think the film is great? No one Who would think the film is only so-so? Children and adults. Who would think the film is lousy? No one. Rating: 3/5 (no half scores). Save your money and watch it on TV.

This was a kind of cerebral, slow moving, almost small in scope sci-fi film. I absolutely loved it. The acting, the sense of place, the mystery. I don't think it would have had as much impact if everything had been explained. I can't wait to see it again.

Featuring stand-out performances, impressive direction, and a stellar story-line, Midnight Special is an emotional and original Sci-Fi thriller, even with its loose ends.

Oh how I long to watch this again on the big screen! Whilst there is an occasionally frustrating lack of exposition here, I found myself utterly entranced by this story, and I thoroughly enjoyed the teasing manner in which this gripping storyline unfurls. The performances were exceptional, and it was especially pleasing to see yet another child actor who was polished and thoroughly believable. The originality of the concept and polished, subtle execution was thoroughly enjoyable and I found myself completely beguiled by the experience. 9.02/10

For me it seemed like a very promising film for the first half. Part "E.T"., part "Powder". Lots of mystery, good acting and character development. And then it just all falls apart. Scene after scene of this mystery child exhibiting his weird special powers, some of which seem to have been thrown in the movie simply because they were a gimmick that had not been used before, but did nothing at all to make the child's story coherent or compelling. The last half hour is a chore to watch, as the director clearly intended for the audience to have emotional investment it what was happening, but it had not been earned. The last 15 minutes were not just a chore, but an embarrassment to all the actors of good reputation involved in this film.

Midnight special is a colossal disappointment. A hugely potential film which has all it's technicalities spot on, yet the production team seemed stuck at what to fill in a grey area of space with. Grey space they tried to make special, signifying nothing. A cloudy film which wanders and happens with no harm done, but it's an eyesore in otherwise compelling blue patches of sky.

Another family drama hero movie it barely scratches sci-fi genre well it was the last genre in the row so ok, the movie is boring, it is short , it is full of still portraits , it is cheap , it is slow , it has a dying rithm just like very old men are , 1 000 000 idiots could write it better , i watch a lot of sci-fi and 99% dissapoint , it is nothing like the trailer no epic action , ingenuity or originality nothing you have never seen, this is not epic sci-fi this is more like rubber , but the cast was good .

A well made, well acted film that while slow at times keeps you interested throughout. As the case with Jeff Nichols films they are paced very methodically which you either embrace or you don't I'm more in the former than the latter. B+

This is not a very good ****'t be fooled by high ratings...this is very derivative of "Close encounters" except that was better and original. Don' t waste your time on it.

Everyone's so serious and broody in this film, it gets boring. Plus they're all mumbling to each other in their serious tones and you can hardly hear what they're saying. I think Michael Shannon's a great actor but he has one expression throughout the entire movie. The kid has no personality whatsoever and just sits there like a lemon for most of the film. The plot unfolds slowly in a contrived manner which aims to tease you whereas I ended up just saying, 'please, someone, just fill us in.' Everybody knows more than they divulge to the viewer from the get go and the result of this is that things move along very slowly with nothing significant happening for ages. I tuned out by the end and put on my headphones in, whilst on the screen I could see that the payload does arrive eventually, but too little too late.

Lens flare and vagueness substitute for substance (I used to call this kind of vagueness 'mystery', but real mystery is inspiring and creates a sense of wonder). The supposed sci-fi is just a MacGuffin for a boring fugitive movie. You no doubt wonder why there was no explanation... it's because they have no explanation for you. This is the new Emperor's New Clothes of film-making. You are impressed because you think you are supposed to be impressed. Well played Hollywood.

"Midnight Special" is thrilling, emotional, exquisite, intricate, beautiful, wonderful, and inspiring. A fantastic and original sci-fi thriller with great performances and a gripping plot.

What shine's with this movie is Jeff Nichols directing. His writing, not so much. The story is sparse, gleans intentionally on elements that could be so much more. The characters work, simply because they do except kirsten dunst. Her role could have been completely ignored and nothing would be lost here. The finale comes short. This is worth a watch though.

I must thank jeff nichols for this film perfect and rich in emotions, michael shannon is once again in top form as he was in the incredible “ take shelter” , love at first sight of the year, cheer.

Drive around with a kid, get chased on the road by various parties because the child is special in some way. Some shooting, some special effects, some mystery, blah, blah. The ending is the same as every other SciFi film - it's doesn't explain much. Rubbish.

Jeff Nichols does an excellent job and grabbing you at the beginning and then slowly reeling you in to his story. Its refreshing to see a film with some originality to it and Midnight Special accomplishes that even if it doesn't fully explain itself at the end.

It's like a really good episode of the X-Files. Midnight Special owes a lot of its plot to Starman (1984) and its overall feel to the Steven Spielberg oeuvre but it's a wonderful little sci-fi pursuit flick. Like a really good episode of the X-Files, it doesn't answer all your questions but is well worth the ride. Also worth mentioning, this movie full establishes Adam Driver as this generation's Jeff Goldblum.

Mysteriously fascinating and totally riveting from start to finish, but not without fault. Takes a few missteps here and there, but is overall very satisfying. Writer/director Jeff Nichols does a fantastic job building an increasingly suspenseful tone and keeping things interesting while being a slow burn. The performances are top notch, specifically Adam Driver and Kirsten Dunst, and they all play completely developed and engaging characters. I was thoroughly impressed by the visually striking, well-acted, thought-provoking Midnight Special.

'If it's not too much to ask, could you punch me in the face?' (Agent Sevier to Lucas the cop)MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is loaded with great actors. Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst,Adam Driver,Sam Shepard and the young boy played by Jaeden Lieberher. A father has taken his son back from a cult leader and members are sent to bring the boy back. The FBI raids the cult farm and the entire cult is questioned about the boy and his whereabouts. The boy, Alton, wears goggles and is shielded from daylight and the sun as they travel at night and tape cardboard to the motel windows. It is as much a family film as it is a sci-fi/chase film.

A Highly Disappointing SF Film Mashup *** Spoilers *** It's partially the casting, partially the direction sinking this film. Mostly it's a script cobbed together from "ET," "Starman," a dash of "CE3K," the Superman legend, "Village of the Damned," and generic child-in-jeopardy tale. That's the most amazing, and disappointing, aspect of "Midnight Special" - that the creative and original Jeff Nichols wrote a shamefully derivative script filled with plot holes large enough to fly a mothership through. After a mysterious, compelling first act, "Midnight Special" turns into a boring chase/race-against-time story of an extraordinary, luminous boy with 'powers and abilities far beyond that of mortal men' sought by the Feds and a cultish church who venerate him because he speaks coordinates in tongues. This boy comes from "a world-on-world" whose inhabitants watch over us. (Given the state of the world, they're doing a crappy job.) The explanation tracks more like angels from another dimension than aliens. The boy, played by Jaeden Lieberher, fails to create sympathy through all the chaos. The wonderful Kirsten Dunst has never been more wasted in a placeholder role as the boy's mom. Shannon is his hulking father. Edgerton only serviceable as a tag along State Trooper. They dodge bullets on a lumbering path to specific Florida coordinates where the boy has a date with destiny; the merging of dimension X and our pitiful dimension. Other luminous beings spirit the boy away and POOF - the convergence disappears. Big deal! A most unsatisfying and anticlimactic end that does not inspire the wonder the special effects technicians hoped it would despite Mom's mugging at the otherworldly architecture. It might occur this is a Jesus allegory with a 'birth' of a messiah from common parents. There's not a glimmer of that (save some 'fire from Heaven'). Early on, there was promise of social commentary about our over-surveilled lives. Nope. That's not present either. Also lacking, commentary about people steeping in religious fervor to fill absences in themselves. The church members, including Sam Shepherd, are bland. "Midnight Special" adds no subtext to a story begging for some. Even the title derived from the song doesn't track. "Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me." Okay, he did shine light, but the Feds - after everyone within a hundred mile radius sees the other world - still prosecute and jail Dad and the Trooper. That we're deaf, dumb and blind in a mysterious Universe is not a lot to be left with after two hours. Too much mystery ruins a film - the slight flash of light in Dad's eyes at fade out an example. Without the proper setup, too much mystery makes "Midnight Special" an uncooked, epic misfire in this dimension or any other. Give it a pass.

It's indeed a special science fiction thriller inspired by director/writer Jeff Nichols' own life experience who enjoys telling a story at his own vision that's not intently made for general audiences. The film revolves around a kid with supernatural abilities that has similarities to Spielberg's E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind and a little bit of Tomorrowland; its thin plot progresses slowly, less family friendly and humorless but it manages to engage audiences by triggering the eagerness to crack for all secrets behind the mystery. The entire journey is dangerous and emotional thanks to the outstanding performance by Michael Shannon as a caring father and well supported by the charming performance of the son by Jaeden Lieberher. It has limited but powerful scores, it does not reveal all secrets and end ambiguously, rather most importantly the science fiction acts as a metaphor to the beauty of parenthood - faith and sacrifice of parents to ensure the happiness of their children.

If you're old enough to remember back to the late 70's early 80's you'll identify Close Encounters & Escape From Witch Mountain as the basis for this movie with a little 90's Powder thrown in, but this is a pale shadow of those movies with almost no dialogue of note and no character development, with an ending that leaves nothing but regret you should have spent this 1hr and 51 minutes doing anything else. This movie was dreck.

Hmm, I recognize this was a work of spirit for the creator. My main complaint is that it seems an example of our times reliance on what has come before.