'Midnight Mass' Series Review: Mike Flanagan Further Cements Himself as a Modern Master
Mike Flanagan has been fueling our nightmares in recent years. Whether it’s old, haunted houses, an evil mirror, a masked killer, psychic abilities, or nightmares that actually manifest in real life - one thing is clear: Flanagan is well on his way to becoming one of our modern day masters of horror. In fact, after watching “Midnight Mass”, one might argue he’s already there.
The scene for this newest surreal thriller is set after a young man, Riley (Zach Gilford) has recognized a recent tragedy has him in a never-ending dark tailspin. As a result, he comes home to the small, isolated, Crockett Island - a place that seems to have aged along with its residents, and now looks as if it exists in a different decade than the rest of the country. The weather is gray and gloomy, the population is dwindling, the people who are left are struggling, many of the houses are in various states of disrepair, and hundreds of dead, stray cats just washed up on the shore.
Riley doesn’t have much choice however - after spending four years in prison, he has nowhere else to go and doesn’t really see a future for himself. His life now consists of going to AA meetings and just getting through one day after another. Riley’s return coincides with the arrival of a charismatic Priest, Father Paul (Hamish Linklater), who quickly inspires better mass attendance with his passionate sermons and, well, an unexpected miracle. Soon, inspiration turns into religious fervor, and a community in dire need of hope and purpose fills their hearts and minds with blind faith.
This is where Mike Flanagan carefully weaves his slow-burn, supernatural horror - his most personal and philosophical work to date, which he’s personally referred to as his “favorite project so far”. Unlike the two seasons of his “Haunting” anthology, Midnight Mass isn’t based on any classic work of horror fiction - it’s a completely original work, separate from the series, and a passion project he has been working on for over a decade. Here Flanagan explores supernatural horrors as well as those brought on by humans themselves, intertwining the two in a thought-provoking meditation on faith, fanaticism, addiction, personal responsibility, morality, mortality, and purpose.
Religion-themed horror is a tricky thing, and despite how many films and series try to approach this sub-genre, very few of them are able to do it without vilifying religious belief or turning the characters into one-dimensional, Bible-thumping caricatures. Midnight Mass succeeds in bringing much needed nuance to the topic; while at first glance it might seem as if it’s just another story that’s taking on Catholicism, it soon becomes clear Mike Flanagan wants his audience to see the distinction between faith and religious zealotry. As for the Bible thumping - there is one character audiences should brace for, and her name is Bev Keene (Samantha Sloyan). The most obvious villain of this story, Bev has an impressive talent for twisting Bible passages into fitting her agenda, which is ironic considering she at one point lectures someone about not cherry-picking the word of God. The rest of the characters in the series are flawed and broken to some extent, each in their own way, but generally well-meaning and trying to do the right thing. That being said, we all know where the road that’s “paved with good intentions” leads.
To bring this story to life Flanagan assembles a strong cast, featuring quite a few familiar faces fans of the director’s previous work are going to be happy to see, but the three central performances are absolutely unforgettable. Zach Gilford’s Riley is a heart-breaking shadow of a man, haunted by the image of his tragic accident. Consumed by guilt, Riley has seemingly given up on the rest of his life, deeming himself undeserving of happiness and lacking purpose. Flanagan’s frequent collaborator and real-life wife Kate Siegel plays Erin, who has returned to the island f or her own reasons, and is now working as a teacher. She and Riley share a history, and while they slowly begin reconnecting it’s clear she has a lot more fight left in her than he does - giving up is not something she is interested in, no matter how difficult or dark things get. Finally, Linklater steals every scene he’s in with his magnetic portrayal of Father Paul. This is particularly impressive considering how much of his dialogue is dedicated to grand speeches, which could have easily killed the momentum of the show, had it been portrayed by a less capable actor. All three of them deliver powerful, emotional performances you won’t be able to take your eyes off, and all three of them have more to them than it might initially seem.
Regarding the dialogue; this is where opinions on Midnight Mass might vary. The series is incredibly dialogue-heavy, and it takes its time revealing t he characters through personal stories and philosophical debates (many of them centered around religion and belief). Flanagan is not afraid to sit his characters down f or a long discussion of “what happens when you die?” or “divine plan vs. personal accountability”, and these conversations are fascinating, even though fans of more plot-driven horror might find them excessive. But don’t l et these dramatic and contemplative parts fool you - rest assured t hat t his brooding, atmospheric series is building to a terrifying climax, with quite a few surprises along the way.
Midnight Mass has a lot to offer to its viewers. Thematically and emotionally rich, it aims to explore not only the supernatural forces that might lurk in he shadows, but also the darkness within humanity itself. A former altar boy with a Catholic upbringing, Mike Flanagan presents us with a captivating, thought-provoking fusion of horror, addiction, and faith that’s unlike anything he’s done before. He gets personal, he gets vulnerable, and by doing this he creates his best and most important work to date.