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| Images courtesy Netflix |
After two other successful horror event series on Netflix, filmmaker Mike Flanagan returns with a new original seven episode story titled Midnight Mass. The project, which has been in the developmental stages for over ten years has been teased repeatedly in his other projects including Hush and Gerald's Game. At long last, it's here. Let the mass begin.
His latest work that's irrefutably influenced by Stephen King's writing sees a remote island and its religious inhabitants come under the spell of a dark force that wants to turn them. As an indictment of cult like behavior, Flanagan nails his mark, if only to lose his audience at times due to long winded monologues and wholly extended scenes that clearly needed a tighter edit. At a limited run of episodes that clock in at just over seven hours, this plays like a protracted movie that tapers off in the middle section but ramps up for an absolutely deserved conclusion.
Swaying heavily from some deep rooted character development and great world building to the sluggish episode four, Flanagan definitely has a way with his now captive audience. Built upon his other two adapted Netflix hits, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, the director captivates with a tale that's based in modern thematics and anti-religious tones that may find themselves insulting to some of his viewership but altogether satisfying to others. Blanketed in themes of human loss and emotional struggles, his latest work feels timely and relevant to the experiences we've all had the past two years.
His Midnight Mass takes some hard perfected swings at organized religion as he builds a solid mythology that's blanketed in nods to old school vampire movies, dark visuals and an altogether dynamic setting that strands us on Crockett Island with a diverse set of main players that don't always align morally. Adding to the positives is an original creature design that mixes both practical and computer generation to full effect. The Angel, an obvious acknowledgment to his love for Nosferatu adds another layer of terror that only strays into full on gore in small but much needed doses.
Flanagan's best work is truly done when he's diving head long into creating excellent yet variably flawed characters. From a love lorn pregnant woman, a recovering alcoholic, a mourning Muslim sheriff, the followers of the island's Christian church, and a bevy of other roles, Flanagan sifts through and delivers another tale of supernatural horror that relies heavily on our own daily fears and emotions. Backed by many returning actors from his previous Netflix projects, there is a comfort level here that's apparent. The director is in tune with his cast, which speaks directly to the screen.
As a pre-Halloween release, Midnight Mass hits some high marks all around. In a time when we're being beat over the head with reboots, remakes, sequels and rehashes, it's nice to get a bit of original content that streamlines the best elements of horror. It's also satisfying to get a new series that has no connectivity to anything else.
Reminiscing on classic works like Salem's Lot, Nosferatu, and even John Carpenter's The Thing, Flanagan's Midnight Mass could have played like a cover band. Instead, he uses all his influences to create something fresh and new that never feels convoluted or repetitive.
-CG
