Midnight Mass
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 24, 2021
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 73 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 60 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 73
  3. Negative: 4 out of 73
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  1. Donathin
    Sep 28, 2021
    10
    Midnight Mass is Flanagan's most ambitious, emotional, and theatrical series to date. Fans of Stephen King will find a lot to love here about the flawed characters, dark religious themes, and deeply personal horrors. Everything here hits the mark—acting, writing, directing, cinematography, and eerie set design.

    The first four episodes slowly draw you into the characters' lives, giving    Midnight Mass is Flanagan's most ambitious, emotional, and theatrical series to date. Fans of Stephen King will find a lot to love here about the flawed characters, dark religious themes, and deeply personal horrors. Everything here hits the mark—acting, writing, directing, cinematography, and eerie set design.

    The first four episodes slowly draw you into the characters' lives, giving you reasons to care about them and the town. The final three episodes crescendo into true terror. Midnight Mass rewards its audience's patience tenfold. Without the time and love spent developing its characters in the series' first half, its final act would not be nearly so harrowing.

    Similar to horror masterpieces such as The Exorcist and The Shining, Midnight Mass lingers in the dark corners of your mind, haunting you long after its credits roll. And, really, that's the best recommendation I could possibly give.    … Expand
  2. bhinde
    Sep 26, 2021
    9
    Great horror series with religious themes. Love watching horror this time of year. If you Liked the first haunted hill, you will like this.
  3. RichardSayre
    Sep 30, 2021
    10
    MIDNIGHT MASS feels so much like Mike Flanagan adapting another sprawling 600-page Stephen King novel, only somehow even better. Jammed packed with interesting characters and never once feeling bogged down, Mike Flanagan has crafted his horror masterpiece here that challenges even the works of King, the true master of character driven horror. The scary moments creep up on you withMIDNIGHT MASS feels so much like Mike Flanagan adapting another sprawling 600-page Stephen King novel, only somehow even better. Jammed packed with interesting characters and never once feeling bogged down, Mike Flanagan has crafted his horror masterpiece here that challenges even the works of King, the true master of character driven horror. The scary moments creep up on you with perfectly drawn out dread and when it finally arrives, Flanagan really shows he knows how to work it. At times a meditative look at faith and family, home and trauma; at others, a straight up terrifying horror story. This series puts most modern horror to shame, and while some may call it talky, it only proves Flanagan's writing prowess. He takes hold of you by the collar every scene and doesn't let go, only tightens his grip and amps it up until you actually find yourself recoiling, even if it's nothing except one person speaking to another. It's been a long time since a horror movie/series has made me decently scared and made me think so much. Mike Flanagan has done it. This man is a genius.… Expand
  4. toph123
    Oct 2, 2021
    10
    Mike Flanagan's best work yet, and that's saying something. I dare say this is a masterpiece. Yes it's a slow burn, but it always manages to keep things interesting -- the characters are fully-fleshed out, the dialogue often brilliant, and the many hints that something truly sinister is going to happen. And boy do they happen.
  5. odzuchi
    Sep 28, 2021
    9
    Almost perfect. The story is interesting and captivating, a good thriller with rich dialogue.
  6. thunderboltway
    Sep 27, 2021
    8
    Divisive show, apparently. Here’s a view from the camp who liked it:

    Pros - Cool setting, mood major nods to Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot (and even the “Return to Salem’s Lot” sequel film) creepy, sometimes trippy fx Very compelling antagonists, seemingly cribbed from Stephen King Likable, damaged hero Some interesting acting work Great score Ballsy storytelling Fairly fun    Divisive show, apparently. Here’s a view from the camp who liked it:

    Pros -
    Cool setting, mood
    major nods to Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot (and even the “Return to Salem’s Lot” sequel film)
    creepy, sometimes trippy fx
    Very compelling antagonists, seemingly cribbed from Stephen King
    Likable, damaged hero
    Some interesting acting work
    Great score
    Ballsy storytelling
    Fairly fun guessing games and brilliant use of foreshadowing
    Cinematography a treat
    Seems designed for serious horror fans
    Anxiety-inducing
    Nice world-building
    Sticks with you and rewards repeat viewings
    Elliott from E.T is a treat to watch

    Cons:
    Perhaps the only show I’ve ever fast-forwarded through dialogue on, (I’m looking at you, couch scene) it’s in serious need of an editor
    (a fan-edit would be truly amazing)
    Sometimes plot collapses under its own ambition
    Not quite as deep as it wants to be, but a younger viewer may find its themes deeper than I did
    A long-form dive into religion and catholic rituals may be off-putting to some viewers
    Hokey old-age makeup across the board could have benefitted from CG
    Nepotism always leads to questionable casting, Mike: Erin Greene should’ve been the heart of this show, but I don’t think her character works with this actress, who would’ve made a much better antagonist
    Hokey dance sequence

    Pros outweigh the cons greatly: a sort-of extended Catholic riff on Salem’s Lot, this is Flanagan’s crazy, over-ambitious, deeply personal epic, and is his best work since Oculus - definitely not perfect but incredibly absorbing and often fascinating, with interesting religious parallels in story. Feels very appropriate for Halloween, on second watch you can steel yourself for some pretty brutal monologues which catch you off-guard on first viewing

    I loved it, warts and all    … Expand
  7. ThisGuy1
    Oct 4, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My only cons are that it's not very scary and the dialogue could sometimes be monologue heavy to the point of eye-rolling. Other than that, it was a beautiful story about faith vs fanaticism, addiction, and guilt. I think some people jump to the conclusion that this show speaks negatively about Christianity - when in reality, I think Catholicism was picked purely as a personal touch from Flanagan. The same "faith vs fanaticism" story could have been told with any religion.

    On that note, I consider this series to be unofficially based on "Salem's Lot." I read that book when I was in high school. As soon as I saw the box and heard the knocking, I immediately thought of Straker and Barlow. The cats was the next clue. Rather than having the two survivors escape and eventually return to burn the town to the ground mid-day, the town burns to the ground on the same night the majority of the town is converted (also with only two survivors escaping). I love how they kept this aspect of the show (vampires) secret. I almost wish I hadn't read Salem's Lot when I was younger so I could have been caught off guard by the reveal (although, that book is great).

    There is only one truly unlikable character. All others have enough dimensions to be at least somewhat empathetic towards.

    Really well done. I think it could have been an 8 or 9 out of 10 if it was either A) scarier or B) one episode shorter.    … Expand
  8. Madmaximus27
    Nov 3, 2021
    3
    A gigantic waste of time. This could easily have been a 200 minute running time Netflix movie. Feels specifically designed to draw everything out. Every 10 minutes a character breaks out into a long drawn-out dialogue about their backstory while all the other characters sit back and listen patiently
  9. lru
    Sep 26, 2021
    3
    If you can get past the wildly outrageous plot holes ("I don't even carry a gun" says the sheriff in episode 6 of 7 who has visibly carried a gun through the entire series and shoots it in the following episode), gruelingly drawn out monologues and exposition, atrocious acting (not sure how you're supposed to wordlessly "look concerned" for ten minutes at a time while other charactersIf you can get past the wildly outrageous plot holes ("I don't even carry a gun" says the sheriff in episode 6 of 7 who has visibly carried a gun through the entire series and shoots it in the following episode), gruelingly drawn out monologues and exposition, atrocious acting (not sure how you're supposed to wordlessly "look concerned" for ten minutes at a time while other characters explain their life story), on-the-nose moralizing, unbelievable setting and casting (a bunch of models living in shanties on a remote island), then you're gonna love this show.… Expand
  10. kirkender
    Sep 30, 2021
    3
    I have sat through 2 episodes and this show is exhausting and boring. The only interesting parts each episode take up 3 minutes of the narrative, which leaves 57 minutes of the most banal dialogue, uninteresting characters, and shaky camera work. Do I continue to watch? I really don't want to. It's so basic.
  11. nicktrito
    Sep 29, 2021
    4
    Im sorry, but this was so bad. I was struggling to stay awake in every episode. Each episode was about 20-30 minutes longer than it needed to be. This is a slow burner (which I usually like and find interesting), but this show really emphasized the word slow. The characters were unbearably dumb and stupid at all points. The only two characters worth anything were Reilly (the mainIm sorry, but this was so bad. I was struggling to stay awake in every episode. Each episode was about 20-30 minutes longer than it needed to be. This is a slow burner (which I usually like and find interesting), but this show really emphasized the word slow. The characters were unbearably dumb and stupid at all points. The only two characters worth anything were Reilly (the main character), and the doctor who's name isn't important enough to remember. They're the only two characters in the whole show with brains that actually attempt to use them.

    Being a horror lover myself, I was very excited when I found out this show was coming out. But I don't even know what genre to put this in. It's not a horror series, not a single thing scary about it. I definitely wouldn't call it a thriller either, considering thrillers are supposed to be, well, thrilling. I loved Haunting of Hill House. I thought it was absolutely fantastic. Haunting of Bly Manor was a big step back from Hill House, but still an overall enjoyable show. Watching Midnight Mass was like having a massive tumor slowly eating away at my brain why my eyes struggled to stay open 15 minutes into each hour+ long episode. Flanagan seems to be going the same direction that Jordan Peele is currently heading in. Release one really good show, take a step back, and then just put out straight trash that people will continue to eat up because they really liked your first series/movie.

    Im giving this a 4/10. I really wanted to go lower, but I don't believe that would be fair because the acting is genuinely good, the directing is alright, and the setting is fine. It is definitely not the worst thing I've ever seen, it just wasn't good. It is never a good sign when you find the new American Horror Story season more exciting that a massive-budgeted Netflix series. I really hope Flanagan can get back to his roots with the next series he works on. Go back and find out what made Hill House so great and try to recreate it, cause I can't sit through another one of these.    … Expand
  12. muldjord
    Oct 3, 2021
    5
    I just, barely, made it through episode 5. Episode 1-4 are great! Episode 5 seemed like a stage play that tried hard to be edgy and relevant and fails miserably on all accounts. The dialog is just irrelevant nonsense for 40 minutes straight. People sitting looking at each other spewing stories that have zero relevance and sometimes border on gibberish. I wasI just, barely, made it through episode 5. Episode 1-4 are great! Episode 5 seemed like a stage play that tried hard to be edgy and relevant and fails miserably on all accounts. The dialog is just irrelevant nonsense for 40 minutes straight. People sitting looking at each other spewing stories that have zero relevance and sometimes border on gibberish. I was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo bored! It was just like the same scene repeating itself over and over again for the entire episode. Two people sitting across from each other. Then they start these long drawn out monologues that serve no purpose other than to pad for time, and the camera slowly zooms in on them. And it goes on, and on, and on, and on. It reminds me of the infamous "The Fly" episode from Breaking Bad. It's a single episode that almost kills a show.

    Wow, it was just terrible! Yeah, I get it, characters need backstories and we need to connect with them. But this series takes it way too far. Instead of spreading out their backstories, they are compressed into monologue scenes that stretch on for far too long.

    How they managed to turn the show into crap that fast was really quite impressive. Up until episode 5 I was quite intrigued with the plot, however flailing it is. But that sure changed. Just wow!

    I will probably watch the last two episode, just because I've spend so much time on it that I at least want to see it through. But I have little hope of them actually wrapping it up in any meaningful way. That boat seems to have left for the mainland long ago.

    EDIT: I just watched episode 6 and it just got worse. This is so stilted I simply can't keep watching it.    … Expand
  13. ReviewSnap
    Sep 28, 2021
    6
    By episode 3 the curtains are pulled, its hand is shown and most of the mystery and horror dries up with it. The remaining 4 episodes merely serve the purposes of coloring inside the lines.
    I loved the acting, the setting, the initial mystery, and even the extensive dialog between some truly captivating characters. I just wish it didn’t foreshadow so much and wasn’t so premature.
  14. Lambo442
    Mar 2, 2022
    10
    Here's why Flan is the man: Superb characters, brilliantly cast. Top notch acting. Incredible cinematography. This is leagues above most other shows out there right now. Somehow the director manages to capture that old school Stephen King feel perfectly. It's as if King and Flanagan were a match made in heaven.
  15. TheQuietGamer
    Oct 20, 2021
    7
    The thing that has made Mike Flanagan stand out in the modern age of horror has been his understanding of the importance of strong character work in the genre. On top of coming up with uniquely unsettling concepts and petrifying scenarios, he has always ensured the people in his stories are just as compelling as the supernatural terrors they face. It's an aspect of his style that he's beenThe thing that has made Mike Flanagan stand out in the modern age of horror has been his understanding of the importance of strong character work in the genre. On top of coming up with uniquely unsettling concepts and petrifying scenarios, he has always ensured the people in his stories are just as compelling as the supernatural terrors they face. It's an aspect of his style that he's been able to explore to the fullest extent ever since he's made the move from feature-lengths to miniseries.

    More so than anything he's made prior this is a human drama that just so happens to have a monster in it. The majority of the "action" consists of watching the inhabitants of the small island fishing town struggle with things like guilt, regret, redemption, religious faith, death and so much else. Usually through lengthy conversations. Flanagan portrays all of this with his usual sense of empathy. He genuinely seems to get why humanity is this way and doesn't appear to hold it against anybody, despite having no trouble depicting and serving justice to the most heinous of those among us.

    Despite the narrative being centered around a Catholic church, he never condemns religion as an inherently bad thing like so many others would. He never condemns anyone or anything at all. Rather he simply critiques how religion can be misused to justify abhorrent behavior. The overall message being to look past the race, beliefs, or creeds of others. Midnight Mass isn't telling you to agree with everybody as it realizes that's impossible. Rather it's asking you to accept that there are those with different beliefs and lifestyles, not judge, and continue going about your own life. A moral I can get behind 100%. Now let me tell you why I think this is one of the weakest efforts of Flanagan's career thus far...

    No, not because it isn't scary. Few though they may be, these are some of the most effective frights tactics he's come up with to date. The first problem I have is evident from the very start. The whole thing looks really cheap to the point where I was regularly taken out of the experience by the obvious green screens and lackluster CGI. It becomes clear that the bulk of the SFX budget went into the absolute parade of blood and fire that is the finale, which explains why it's so rough visually early on. However, you mean to tell me Netflix could give upwards of $90 million to David Ayer and Michael Bay, but couldn't slip a few extra bucks to the guy who gave them The Haunting of Hill House which is likely STILL the best content the streaming service has to offer? Unreal.

    My other issues stem from the writing. Characters have a tendency to talk in really unnatural ways. Like how at one point a teenage boy uses the phrase "good and truly" as if he's from the 1600s or something. It's bizarre. The biggest and most egregious fault of all though is the ginormous plot hole resting at the center of the script. I can't go into details for fear of incredibly significant spoilers, but suffice to say it very easily ruins any sense of believability.

    Between this and The Haunting of Bly Manor (which he admittedly had a less hands-on role in), I'm ready for Flanagan to return to movies where a smaller running-time forces him to deliver tighter, more focused narratives while leaving a smaller amount of room for these kind of mistakes to creep in. Especially since his last two films were the outstanding Gerald's Game and Doctor Sleep. This is still solid enough for me to recommend it to you based on the strength of its well-realized characters, their dynamics, and the internal dilemmas they face. As well as for the creative twists it puts on one of the oldest creatures of the night ever to grace the screen. Just know that it is flawed in a way we're not used to from him.    … Expand
  16. valrond
    Jan 28, 2022
    2
    Boring, boring, boring. I watched the first episode and halfway through the second (that's well over an hour, mind you), I was bored to death with barely anything happening At all. Except for the cats dying at the end of episode I. Maybe it gets better later, but I'm not willing to endure a lot of boringness to get there.
  17. pnoyfilmtvadik
    Oct 2, 2021
    9
    This is for sure one of the best horror-drama series to date. I'm almost certain it will get nominations for best series and best actor for Linklater.
  18. dmcg1990
    Feb 13, 2022
    10
    This isn't only Mike Flanagan's best work, and he has a consistently impressive oeuvre, but it's one of the best things to be put to screen in the past decade. It deals with incredibly juicy, topical, and especially now essential themes without sacrificing a good scary story, an interesting yarn. do yourself a favor and watch it s soon as you can
  19. devgre
    Oct 5, 2021
    8
    Dipping into themes of small American communities and faiths, Midnight Mass delivers on a unique and surprising experience that will cut deep and resonate with many people while still being a perfect Halloween season entertainment event!
  20. Bozonini
    Jan 18, 2022
    6
    Really slow and boring show. I stopped watching on fifth episode. Boring dialogues, boring characters.
  21. Unicron666
    Oct 13, 2021
    8
    This was a pleasant surprise, I hadn't even heard of it before I watched. It has good characters with a good story and kept me interested until the end.
  22. Crispypriest
    Jan 16, 2022
    9
    I highly recommend Midnight Mass. It is a very creative spin on a somewhat tired trope and it plays out in interesting ways that make you think. The cast is great and writing, while at times a bit hockey, really does a good job when it has to. If you enjoy supernatural thrillers with deep religious undertones, don't hesitate to watch Midnight Mass.
  23. geewah
    Nov 29, 2021
    8
    Mike Flanagan's best work for Netflix thus far.
    A real slow burn for the the first 5 episodes, that then explodes into a full on and in your face thrill ride for it's final 2 episodes.
    The only real letdown is that some of the monologue can be drawn out and quite tedious at times.
  24. julesgovan
    Oct 7, 2021
    6
    it was ok. I definitely expected more. It just needed more action for me personally, but if you like lots of dialogue this is probably for you.
  25. mountainDewey
    Mar 3, 2022
    8
    Did not have many expectations going into show but came out pleasantly surprised. Loved the story and regret watching alone at night!

Awards & Rankings

78
#78 Best TV Season of 2021
21
#21 Most Discussed TV Season of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. i
    Reviewed by: Emily Baker
    Dec 3, 2021
    100
    Midnight Mass is engrossing to the very last.
    Read full review
  2. Radio Times
    Reviewed by: Patrick Cremona
    Dec 3, 2021
    80
    It’s genuinely, thrillingly, unique and certain scenes and moments will live with you long after you’ve finished watching. One thing is for sure – Flanagan remains comfortably one of Netflix’s best assets.
    Read full review
  3. Polygon
    Reviewed by: Rosie Knight
    Sep 24, 2021
    80
    Midnight Mass goes further than tension or thrills, presenting a dense and somehow hopeful epic that leans into the existential terror of being alive.
    Read full review
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