Another show from Mike Flanagan? Yes, please!
For those unfamiliar with Midnight Mass’s creator and director, Mike Flanagan, he has made some of the greatest horror films and shows in the past decade. His resume goes from Oculus to Doctor Sleep, and one of Netflix’s best miniseries The Haunting of Hill House. With Midnight Mass now out on Netflix, it’s easy to say that this master filmmaker has topped himself yet again while also making what is the best Netflix original to date.
The Good
Everything is not just good. It’s fantastic.
The story is perfectly told and tailor-made for the binging experience with a very nice and tight seven episodes. It’s hard to give too many details as the show doesn’t reveal what’s going on until episode three. Just know that it’s a perfect horror story that touches on the themes of addiction, grief, love, faith, and sacrifice. It’s a perfect ensemble of characters that tugged on my heartstrings and nearly made me tear up. This is a story that used ideas and tributes to the fate that affected me despite not being a person with it. I might be misleading some of you by making you think that there are some insane twists in the show. There isn’t, I figured out many of the plot points before they happened. But the feeling I got from just figuring it out myself was incredible and made for one of the most unique viewing experiences I’ve had in a long time.
This story is also accompanied by some fantastic acting. To talk about the leads and their parts will spoil some of the stories. The show constantly and elegantly changes focus between characters, so to talk about specific characters and their roles would feel like it’s revealing too much. I’m just going to list some performers that stood out to me without revealing their character and what they do in the story. The ordering is also based on how their names appeared on IMDb, so don’t try to read into the ordering. Kate Siegel gives one of her greatest performances ever. Zach Gilford brings so many complicated emotions that will enthrall you. Rahul Kohli proves that he is one the most underrated actors yet again. Lastly, Hamish Linklater is subtle and fascinating to watch. But there are so many more performers who do an excellent job, but to keep going would make this review much longer than it should be.
Midnight Mass is the best directed Netflix original show. The only things that come to mind that might rival the show are other Flanagan contributions to the platform. There are so many hidden elements throughout the show with perfectly built-up that will make you sweat. The editing, music, and set pieces are also all fantastic. I really can’t think of any element that falls short of greatness. This is one of the most finely made shows that I’ve seen.
The Bad
Nothing is bad. This show is perfect!
There might be some faults that certain people might have with this show but I can’t put my finger on what those might be. What I can say is that this show felt perfect to me.
With all that said, no show is for everybody. If you don’t like horror that takes its time with slow builds and a large focus on emotions rather than physical scares, you might not have the same enjoyment I did. If you aren’t a fan of Flanagan’s previous Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, I think it’s safe to assume that this won’t convert you.
Even if you don’t think you’ll be into Midnight Mass, it’s hard not to recommend at least giving it a try. With it being on Netflix and having instant access to it, it’s really easy to just start the first episode to see what you think. If you aren’t feeling it, you can just stop watching.
The Low Down
It’s hard to write a lot here because there isn’t much to say beyond this is one of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen. I could talk about potential follow-ups but I don’t want one. This show was so perfectly put together that a follow-up would not only feel like it would be shooting itself in the foot but also devalue what we already have. Even if you are unsure about this show I think you should at least try it. If this show can connect with you it will be one of your greatest television experiences ever. I love Midnight Mass and I’m going to start watching it again for my second time soon.
