After finishing this last night I'm wondering what the Chrons take on Midnight Mass is.
I'd give it 5-6/10 as is, but it would probably be nearer a 9 if it'd had a decent edit.
I'd not known anything about it, but I'm a sucker for coastal/beach horror. I'd only heard great things about this but my experience with Mike Flanagan's work is I'm not particularly enamoured of it. Apart from the travesty of Haunting of Hill House and the bizarre choices in Bly Manor re Turn of the Screw, I'd kinda enjyed Oculus and Doctor Sleep but neither were remarkable.
Each episode is approx 1hour and 5 mins long. No opening credits.
So we have revival-type religion, vampires (YAAAAAAWN) and the oh-so-clever giving the baddies sympathetic POVs. But I can dig that, esp as often execution makes the film rather than its premise. What I couldn't deal with was the horrendous monologues and dialogues.
If a character is ranting a scriptual screed, they can probably make their point far more quickly with a line or two. But THREE MINUTES OF SCREAMING? EV-ER-Y TIME?!?!!? Every moment of tension in MM was ruined by self-indulgent aren't-I-clever, look-at-my-theme writing. There was a really nice moment when the (clearly gay, but meant to be straight) Protag and his old flame have a deep discussion about what happens after you die. But it went on. And on. And then, reprised at the end AGAIN.
At 65 mins and 7 episodes, there was just not enough to justify this bloater. And to be honest, it's not really bloated, just full of painful dialogue and monologue. At 45 mins per episode and say, 5 or 6, it would be a tighter, far more enjoyable experience. Also, get an American to play an American.
The acting was pretty good but the self-conscious actory-ness (channeling Christopher Walken, Jack Nicholson and Jeff Goldblum) of the Monsignor was so distracting, I sometimes used his scenes to make a pot of tea or go to the loo...
But I'm bothered more by my malcontent misery; Flanagan seems to be golden boy in horror lately and I just don't get it. I often question my taste because it's so often at odds with what is popular with other horror fans. Am I wilful? My least favourite SW film is TESB and I love all the SW content that Disney puts out, and the prequels, and there are so many other things 'most' people love or hate that I just don't feel the same about.
I only got up to Ep 4 of Bly Manor before giving up, and I don't think I'll be rushing to watch any more Mike Flanagan stuff.
I'd give it 5-6/10 as is, but it would probably be nearer a 9 if it'd had a decent edit.
I'd not known anything about it, but I'm a sucker for coastal/beach horror. I'd only heard great things about this but my experience with Mike Flanagan's work is I'm not particularly enamoured of it. Apart from the travesty of Haunting of Hill House and the bizarre choices in Bly Manor re Turn of the Screw, I'd kinda enjyed Oculus and Doctor Sleep but neither were remarkable.
Each episode is approx 1hour and 5 mins long. No opening credits.
So we have revival-type religion, vampires (YAAAAAAWN) and the oh-so-clever giving the baddies sympathetic POVs. But I can dig that, esp as often execution makes the film rather than its premise. What I couldn't deal with was the horrendous monologues and dialogues.
If a character is ranting a scriptual screed, they can probably make their point far more quickly with a line or two. But THREE MINUTES OF SCREAMING? EV-ER-Y TIME?!?!!? Every moment of tension in MM was ruined by self-indulgent aren't-I-clever, look-at-my-theme writing. There was a really nice moment when the (clearly gay, but meant to be straight) Protag and his old flame have a deep discussion about what happens after you die. But it went on. And on. And then, reprised at the end AGAIN.
At 65 mins and 7 episodes, there was just not enough to justify this bloater. And to be honest, it's not really bloated, just full of painful dialogue and monologue. At 45 mins per episode and say, 5 or 6, it would be a tighter, far more enjoyable experience. Also, get an American to play an American.
The acting was pretty good but the self-conscious actory-ness (channeling Christopher Walken, Jack Nicholson and Jeff Goldblum) of the Monsignor was so distracting, I sometimes used his scenes to make a pot of tea or go to the loo...
But I'm bothered more by my malcontent misery; Flanagan seems to be golden boy in horror lately and I just don't get it. I often question my taste because it's so often at odds with what is popular with other horror fans. Am I wilful? My least favourite SW film is TESB and I love all the SW content that Disney puts out, and the prequels, and there are so many other things 'most' people love or hate that I just don't feel the same about.
I only got up to Ep 4 of Bly Manor before giving up, and I don't think I'll be rushing to watch any more Mike Flanagan stuff.
