SummaryOn isolated Crockett Island, the arrival of Father Paul (Hamish Linklater) seems to bring forth mysterious miracles in this limited series from Mike Flanagan.
SummaryOn isolated Crockett Island, the arrival of Father Paul (Hamish Linklater) seems to bring forth mysterious miracles in this limited series from Mike Flanagan.
I'm telling you it's occasionally a laborious, frustrating undertaking (except when it's not), and, it absolutely must be mentioned, you're about to experience some truly ill-advised old age makeup (it serves a purpose, but big yeesh). But I'm also telling you to dive in anyway, because what you'll find on the other side is worth it.
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.
The dialogue is often stagey, and every character, whether they’re a priest or a teen, seems to have the same tendency toward speechifying. Yet after a slow first two episodes (pace being another common issue for not just Flanagan, but serialized horror in general), the show’s alchemy of spectacle, suspense and storytelling starts working. A binge becomes inevitable but also unexpectedly satisfying.
More than faith in the events of the show, Midnight Mass requires faith in Flanagan and the seriousness of purpose within his Stephen King pastiches. Even if the miniseries doesn’t stick its frightful landing, its ecclesiastical eeriness is a thing worth mulling over, be you rapturous or a doubting Thomas.
A couple of minor surprises are too easy to predict and there is a whole subplot about dead cats that doesn’t fit in. The series is doomed for ever to be almost great. When the end comes at last, there is a lot of fire and viscera, but no rapture.
There’s much to savor here, too, which makes the oversized sense of purpose and meaning frustrating. “Midnight Mass” has something to say. It just can’t help saying it too loudly—and without bothering to stop and spook us out.