Midnight Mass [2021]
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can... and the wisdom to know the difference."
Midnight Mass is the newest release from writer/director Mike Flanagan. Known for his human interest stories disguised as genre horror miniseries, Flanagan has a lot to live up to here after the resounding success of The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and his less beloved follow-up The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020). Despite knowing how he deals his cards however, Flanagan still has some tricks up his sleeve.
Mass takes some tried and true and tired and (un)dead concepts and applies them in entirely new and exciting ways. The closest thing I can think to compare Midnight Mass to is Stephen King's early novel Salem's Lot (1975)... and that's one helluva comparison to make. Unfortunately, the comparison is only vague and the tricks Flanagan manages to pull on us with Mass -- while fun -- lack the substance of his earlier work with Hill House.
Similar to the 2021 masterpiece of art direction and cinematography Them, Midnight Mass turns into a self reflective gag by the end of its runtime. While the high points of the show are absolute pinnacles of visual story telling, acting, soliloquy, and nuance; they only leave that much more room for the show to fall and smash itself to bits overall. Plot lines that don't add up, don't matter, don't make sense, or are so obvious that, while I watched it I literally paused the show as my partner and I asked each other the same question at the same time, "didn't we already know that?" as what is seemingly an important reveal was unveiled.
Ultimately, the cinematography and concept of this show are excellent, but the story itself has no legs on which to stand by the end. With a speech worthy of rehearsing to perform at some later point in life, Midnight Mass was a treat but, like all sugary goodies fit for the season, it's not one that will be remembered for any kind of sustenance in the long run.
"A second chance? That's a real miracle."
