Jeff Nichols’ “Midnight Special” is one of the better films to hit the big screen in 2016 thus far: It’s both an unexpectedly thrilling sci-fi chase movie, a poker-faced genre throwback, and also, somehow, the next logical progression for Nichols as a filmmaker. It’s also a film that’s wholly original in its execution and yet undeniably beholden to its influences when it comes to concept. Nichols has stated that the movie’s gritty, old-fashioned look and earnest tone were inspired by the likes of vintage Steven Spielberg flicks like “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” and also “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.” While “Midnight Special” is ultimately more of a Jeff Nichols movie than anything else, it also happens to be one of those rare pictures where putting its familiar characters and plot into context only deepens its pleasure.
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Another movie that Nichols has cited as an influence on “Midnight Special” is John Carpenter’s hugely underrated “Starman.” It’s the subject of the latest video essay from Little White Lies, which juxtaposes the two films side by side and, indeed, it looks like Nichols must have watched this more than a few times before rolling cameras on his own movie. Like “Midnight Special,” “Starman” is a sci-fi chase picture, one that its director made in the wake of his gross-out masterpiece “The Thing” with hopes of shedding himself of some of the authorial habits he had began to develop. Both films also feature extraterrestrial characters that are pursued by sinister government agencies, and both films also pulsate with an ominous, synth-heavy score (in the case of “Midnight Special,” it’s hard not to believe this is an overt tip of the hat to Carpenter’s very specific sound).
It’s a neat point of comparison, mostly because “Starman” remains under-seen and underappreciated in Carpenter’s filmography. Somehow, Nichols found a way to absorb the boy’s adventures and action-packed science fiction that no doubt enthralled him as a youth and imbue it with it his own very personal touch. No doubt Carpenter fans and Nichols fans alike will get a kick out of it, though those who haven’t had a chance to see “Midnight Special” yet might want to hold off until they have.
