Midnight Special (2016)

Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols
Starring Michael Shannon, Jaeden Lieberher, Joel Edgerton and Kirsten Dunst

A father and son run from the U.S. Government and a cult drawn to the child's special powers.

In an era of film where director's like Colin Trevorrow and Rian Johnson only use independent films as a springboard into bigger studio films, it is nice that there is a director out there that is dedicated to his own work and continues to deny intrusion from cinematic corporations.

That's not to say that abandoning independent films to create the next "Star Wars" or "Jurassic Park" movie is a bad thing. It's just refreshing that Jeff Nichols, a man who undoubtedly has the pull to grab some sort of franchise, sticks to his guns and creates unique stories.

In his fourth film, Nichols has created an intriguing sci-fi thriller in what feels to be a mix of "The Road" and "E.T.". It is a beautiful story, that admittedly, I was unsure of upon my first viewing. I could tell that it was a well made film, but due to my previous expectations not being met, I was left confused and desired a second watch.

"Midnight Special" is a film that rewards multiple viewings. Symbolism and minute details are more apparent once you know what to expect. I noticed things that I completely missed the first time around and it all stitched every question I had up very nicely.

It isn't out of the ordinary these days for a trailer of a film spoil it's entire plot. In this case, not only did the trailer contain the mystery, but much of the film did as well. I enjoyed questioning the plot throughout this thriller rather than being completely up to speed as most studio films allow you to be. The mysterious element is one that I doubt, Disney and Warner Brothers will adopt, but I would love if they did, even if just for a few projects.

Jeff Nichols and his latest film is everything that I love about independent film. Had a major studio been involved in more than just distribution, I feel they would have tampered with the story to the point where it lost everything that makes it special.

My Rating: 8/10

All Good Things (2010)

Directed by Andrew Jarecki
Written by Marcus Hinchey and Marc Smerling

Starring Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Frank Langella and Lilly Rabe
David Marks was suspected but never tried for killing his wife, Katie, who disappeared in 1982, but things occur in his life that bring suspicion of him back into the investigators attention.

Based on the true story of Robert Durst, the subject of the HBO docu-series "The Jinx", this film made it surprisingly easy to sympathize with the alleged murderer who may or may not have committed these crimes (He did.. he totally did). I have yet to watch the series, but I was taken aback at how humanized they made him seem.

Were it not based on a true story, this movie would have been easy to look over. It is one of the many films that gain notoriety on it's subject matter alone. There was nothing spectacular about anything, from acting to cinematography. It was all very blasé for having such an unbelievable, yet true inspiration.

Pictured: Ryan Gosling being blasé.

It could have been so much more, but perhaps given the time this film was made, certain facts about the case weren't available at the time. It's a good movie. I enjoyed watching it. But this is like "Gone Girl's" little sister filled with teenage angst. Though, I definitely want to watch "The Jinx" now.

My Rating: 6.5/10