Midnight Special (12A)

Directed by Jeff Nichols
Picturehouse, Liverpool
From 8th April 2016

Reviewed by Colin Serjent

I am not sure why I even bothered to watch this, given the subject matter. This hugely hyped so-called sci-fi mystery proved to be very derivative of much better films of that genre, the plot was preposterous and the acting second-rate.

Midnight Special - it was baffling to me the reason for using this title - centred around an eight-year-old boy called Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) who almost continually wears dark goggles, and has powers of extra-sensory perception and other extraordinary skills.

After being abducted by two men, his father Roy (Michael Shannon) and his pal Lucas (Joel Edgerton), it results in the FBI, CIA and other assorted bodies in the USA being in pursuit of the lad.

There then occurred comic-book violence, for example, Roy and Lucas get shot, pow pow, in the body by two FBI agents and, hey presto, they emerged unscathed. It's as if brutal violence perpetrated on someone doe not have dire consequences.

The two of them were then in a car which crashed and turned over on the road four or five times, but again both barely received a scratch.

The end scene almost defies description calling it ludicrous would not suffice. The term ludicrous aptly sums up Midnight Special.

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