First strange clip from Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special lands on Earth

Last Updated on July 22, 2021

Easily one of my most anticipated movies of the year is MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, the latest film from MUD and TAKE SHELTER director Jeff Nichols. Described as an homage to the John Carpenter films of the 80s, the film boasts an impressive cast including Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton, Sam Shepherd and Adam Driver. Folks attending the Berlin International Film Festival later this month will get an early look at the sci-fi thriller, while the rest of us wait until mid March. (It’s also playing SXSW in March.)

That said, we all get to take an early look at the film today courtesy of a short but fascinating clip delivered by Yahoo. I won’t describe what happens in it but the way it concludes is both eerie and enticing.

In the sci-fi thriller “Midnight Special,” writer/director Jeff Nichols proves again that he is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time, as a father (Michael Shannon), goes on the run to protect his young son, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), and uncover the truth behind the boy’s special powers.  

What starts as a race from religious extremists and local law enforcement quickly escalates to a nationwide manhunt involving the highest levels of the Federal Government. Ultimately his father risks everything to protect Alton and help fulfill a destiny that could change the world forever, in this genre–defying film as supernatural as it is intimately human.

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL opens March 18th.