Midnight Mass (miniseries)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass Poster.jpg
Poster art
Genre
Created byMike Flanagan
Directed byMike Flanagan
Starring
Theme music composerThe Newton Brothers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes7
Production
Executive producers
  • Mike Flanagan
  • Trevor Macy
  • Jeff Howard
Production locationsSteveston, British Columbia, Canada
CinematographyMichael Fimognari
Running time60–71 minutes
Production companyIntrepid Pictures
Release
Original networkNetflix
Original releaseSeptember 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)

Midnight Mass is an American supernatural horror streaming television miniseries created and directed by Mike Flanagan and starring Zach Gilford, Kate Siegel, Hamish Linklater, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Kristin Lehman and Henry Thomas. The plot centers on an isolated island community that experiences supernatural events after the arrival of a mysterious priest.[1] It was released on Netflix on September 24, 2021,[2] and received positive reviews.

Synopsis[]

A young man returns to his isolated hometown on Crockett Island hoping to rebuild his life after serving four years in prison for killing someone in a drunk-driving incident. He arrives at the same time as a mysterious, charismatic young priest, who begins to revitalise the town's flagging faith. However, the community's existing divisions are soon exacerbated by the priest's deeds while mysterious events befall the small town.

Cast and characters[]

The cast for Midnight Mass consists of:[3][4]

Main[]

  • Hamish Linklater as Father Paul Hill, the enigmatic new priest at St. Patrick's Church, who arrives to replace the aging Monsignor Pruitt temporarily.
  • Kate Siegel as Erin Greene, Riley's childhood sweetheart, now a schoolteacher on Crockett Island and expecting a child.
  • Zach Gilford as Riley Flynn, a former venture capitalist who returns to his hometown of Crockett Island after spending four years in prison for killing a teenage girl in a drunk driving accident.
  • Kristin Lehman as Annie Flynn, Riley's devout, forgiving mother.
  • Samantha Sloyan as Bev Keane, a zealous and overbearing member of St. Patrick's Church and an influential figure in the community.
  • Igby Rigney as Warren Flynn, Riley's teenage brother who serves as an altar boy at the church.
  • Rahul Kohli as Sheriff Hassan,[5] Crockett Island's Muslim sheriff, who finds it difficult to fit in with the town's predominantly Catholic population.
  • Annarah Cymone as Leeza Scarborough, the mayor's devout daughter who uses a wheelchair following an injury.
  • Annabeth Gish as Dr. Sarah Gunning, the town's local doctor, and Erin's close friend.
  • Alex Essoe as Mildred Gunning, Sarah's aging mother who has dementia.
  • Rahul Abburi as Ali Hassan, the sheriff's son and friend of Warren and Ooker.
  • Matt Biedel as Sturge, the island handyman
  • Michael Trucco as Wade Scarborough, the mayor of Crockett Island.
  • Crystal Balint as Dolly Scarborough, Wade's wife, and Leeza's mother.
  • Louis Oliver as Ooker, Warren and Ali's friend who also serves as an altar boy at the church.
  • Henry Thomas as Ed Flynn, Riley's father who works as a fisherman and is reluctant to welcome his son home.

Recurring[]

  • Robert Longstreet as Joe Collie, the town drunk
  • Carla Gugino as Judge[6]
  • Quinton Boisclair as The Angel[7]
  • Ebony Booth as Tara-Beth, the teenage girl killed by Riley in a drunk driving accident
  • John C. McDonald as Bowl, a local drug dealer

Episodes[]

The title of each episode is a book in the Bible. Each episode contains a scene referencing the titular Biblical book.[8]

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Book I: Genesis"Mike FlanaganMike FlanaganSeptember 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)
Riley Flynn returns to his hometown of Crockett Island, a tiny offshore fishing village reeling economically due to an oil spill that crippled its fishing industry, after serving four years in prison for a drunk driving crash that killed a young woman. Having lost his faith during his incarceration, Riley struggles to reintegrate with the town's devout Catholic community, which includes his parents Annie and Ed, teenage brother Warren, childhood sweetheart and expectant mother Erin Greene, and zealous parishioner Bev Keane. The community is also joined by Father Paul Hill, a young priest claiming to be a temporary replacement for the aging Monsignor Pruitt, who is on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. While out at night with his friends Ooker and Ali, Warren spots strange movement in a remote island area populated by feral cats, which are later mauled by an unseen entity. The following night, Riley sees the figure of Monsignor Pruitt walking along the beach amidst a raging storm, but the figure soon vanishes. The next morning, hundreds of dead cats are discovered along the beach.
2"Book II: Psalms"Mike FlanaganMike Flanagan and James Flanagan and Elan GaleSeptember 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)
The townspeople cannot determine a cause of death for the cats found along the beach. Bev covers the church perimeter with the rodenticide 1080, hoping to fend off potential predators. During the night, Bowl, the island drug dealer, is attacked by an unseen assailant. Father Paul meets Leeza Scarborough, the wheelchair-bound daughter of the mayor who was paralyzed after being accidentally shot by the town drunk Joe Collie. During the island's annual Ash Wednesday "Potluck" Festival, Joe's dog suddenly dies after eating food off the ground. Joe suspects Bev, whom he personally despises for extracting church donations from the townsfolk after convincing them to accept a settlement with the oil company that poisoned the bay's waters, knowing it would benefit the church. That night Erin, now working as a teacher, witnesses a mysterious figure on her property. Riley attends a one-on-one AA meeting with Father Paul at the town rec center, where he expresses his contempt for a God that would allow such evil in the world, owing to his guilt over the fatal car accident. During Mass that Sunday, Father Paul insists that Leeza rise from her wheelchair to accept the eucharist; to everyone's shock, Leeza stands and walks.
3"Book III: Proverbs"Mike FlanaganMike Flanagan and James FlanaganSeptember 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)
Crockett Island begins experiencing a religious revival after Leeza's sudden recovery, which the residents believe to be a miracle. Leeza visits Joe and tells him of the hatred she has harbored towards him for causing her life-ruinous injury, only to ultimately forgive him. A moved Joe decides to attend an AA session with Riley and Father Paul. Sheriff Hassan, whose Muslim faith puts him at odds with the town's Christian population, learns that his son Ali is studying the Bible. Later, he makes an unsuccessful attempt to get Bev to stop handing out Bibles to public school children at a town meeting. Father Paul collapses in front of Bev and the Scarboroughs and dies after coughing up blood, only to suddenly spring back to life. In a flashback taking place the night before his first sermon on the island, Paul sits in a confession booth. He reveals the true story of Monsignor Pruitt: near Jerusalem, Pruitt was caught in a sandstorm and discovered an ancient ruin, where he was attacked by a winged, blood-sucking humanoid creature that then fed him its lifeblood. Pruitt awoke the next morning to discover he had regained his youth, revealing Father Paul's true identity as a revitalized Monsignor Pruitt. Paul/Pruitt confesses that he believes the creature that attacked him is an Angel and its blood's healing properties constitute a divine gift that he intends to share.
4"Book IV: Lamentations"Mike FlanaganMike Flanagan and Dani ParkerSeptember 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)
Crockett's resident doctor Sarah Gunning discovers that Erin's fetus has mysteriously disappeared from her uterus and concludes that Erin has miscarried. A distraught Erin travels to the mainland the next morning for a second opinion, but the doctor is unable to find any evidence that Erin was ever pregnant. Following his resurrection, Father Paul reveals that sunlight burns him and Bev deduces his true identity as Monsignor Pruitt. Unable to perform his duties in broad daylight, Paul performs an at-home eucharist with Sarah's elderly mother Mildred, who suffers from dementia but recognizes Paul as Pruitt. Joe visits Father Paul that night and sees him drinking the Angel's blood, which Paul has been diluting with communion wine and feeding to his congregation. Overcome by an insatiable thirst, Paul kills Joe and drinks his blood. Bev, Mayor Scarborough and local handyman Sturge discover the scene the following morning; Bev elects to cover it up, believing Paul's resurrection to be an omen of the Second Coming of Christ. During an AA session, Paul claims to Riley that Joe is absent because he is visiting his sister; Riley, knowing Joe's sister to be deceased, returns to the rec center late at night to confront Paul, but walks in on the Angel shedding its blood into a decanter. Upon seeing Riley, the Angel attacks him.
5"Book V: Gospel"Mike FlanaganMike Flanagan and James FlanaganSeptember 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)
Concerned over Riley's sudden disappearance, Erin files a Missing Persons Case with Sheriff Hassan, who hypothesizes that Riley may have relapsed or committed suicide. On the evening of Good Friday Mass, Father Paul delivers a sermon rife with militaristic rhetoric, urging the congregation to prepare for war as soldiers in God's army. The homily upsets Mildred Gunning, whose physical and mental state has rapidly improved following Father Paul's visits. Later that night, Riley appears on Erin's doorstep and asks her to go offshore on a boat with him. Erin, while suspicious, agrees. Rowing far away from the island, Riley reveals to Erin what happened to him. After being attacked by the Angel, Riley rapidly recovered under the care of Father Paul, who revealed his true identity to him and told him that he believes the Angel's blood is a gift from God and has been mixing it into Communion Wine to heal the residents of Crockett Island. Riley left the rec center, disgusted, and deposited farewell letters for his family and Pruitt before visiting Erin. Riley tells Erin he brought her on the boat to isolate himself, and declares his love for her. As the sun rises, Riley combusts and quickly burns to ashes as Erin screams in horror.
6"Book VI: Acts of the Apostles"Mike FlanaganMike Flanagan and James Flanagan and Jeff HowardSeptember 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)
Erin returns to the island, where Sarah shows her the rejuvenated Mildred and how her blood samples burn in sunlight, theorizing that Father Paul is inducing medical miracles via the wine at church and Erin's consumption of it is what killed her baby. She relays her suspicions to Sheriff Hassan, who refuses to investigate the church, fearing further alienation from the locals. Erin, Sarah, and Mildred attempt to get the ferry to the mainland but discover that Mayor Scarborough has sent the ferries away. That night, Sturge cuts power to the town. At Mass, Father Paul reveals that he is Monsignor Pruitt, unveiling the Angel to an awestruck congregation. Pruitt informs them that they all have the Angel's blood in them and encourages them to drink poison to die and be reborn. Several residents drink it, including Leeza's parents, Sturge, Ooker, and Ali. Mildred shoots Pruitt and is attacked by the Angel. The undead churchgoers resurrect and attack those who haven't drunk the poison. Ed is turned while Erin, Hassan, Leeza, Sarah, Warren, and Annie escape. Erin shoots Bev and a resurrected Bev and Sturge unleash the undead churchgoers onto the remaining townsfolk.
7"Book VII: Revelation"Mike FlanaganMike FlanaganSeptember 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)
The now-turned Mildred reunites with Pruitt; the two were lovers years ago, and Sarah is their daughter. Pruitt brought the Angel to the island to rejuvenate Mildred so that the two of them could have a second chance to be together. Erin and her allies set fire to the boats to prevent the turned churchgoers from leaving. Bev leads the turned on a vampirish rampage, killing anyone they find. Pruitt, horrified by the violence, denounces Bev and she denounces him as a false prophet. Bev orders her followers to burn down everything except the church and recreation center, which she intends to use as a shelter from sunlight. Erin and her allies attempt to burn down the church and rec center but Sturge shoots Sarah, Bev mortally wounds Hassan, and the Angel attacks Erin. Erin slashes its wings as she dies to prevent it from escaping. The churchgoers are appalled at what they have done and abandon Bev's cause. Ali burns down the rec center, leaving no shelter for the turned. As dawn approaches, the remorseful townspeople gather to be immolated by the sun while singing "Nearer, My God, to Thee". Leeza and Warren, who rowed offshore to avoid the carnage, are the island's only survivors. They watch the "Angel" attempt to fly away but notice its wings failing. Bev, Ali, Pruitt, Mildred, and the rest of the island's inhabitants die. As Leeza and Warren watch the island succumb to the fires, Leeza's legs become immobile again.

Development[]

Production[]

Series creator Mike Flanagan described Midnight Mass as a passion project, one that was "deeply personal" and dealt intimately with Flanagan's upbringing in the Catholic Church, and his eventual sobriety and atheism.[9] He conceived the idea first as a novel, then as a film script, then as a television series that he unsuccessfully pitched to various production companies (including its eventual distributor Netflix) in 2014. Flanagan planted a prop book bearing the title as an Easter egg in his films Hush (2016) and Gerald's Game (2017), as a means of "keeping the idea alive over the years."[10] Prior to the series' production, Flanagan created the critically acclaimed horror series The Haunting of Hill House for Netflix, which released in 2018, as well as its 2020 follow-up The Haunting of Bly Manor.

On July 1, 2019, Netflix announced that Midnight Mass would be a seven-episode miniseries, with Flanagan serving as its writer, director and executive producer.[11] In February 2020, Zach Gilford, Kate Siegel and Hamish Linklater were announced as lead roles for the series.[12]

Production was originally scheduled to commence in March 2020, but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] Midnight Mass entered production on August 17, 2020, in Vancouver, Canada and concluded on December 15, 2020.[14][15][16] Production built the town set at Garry Point Park, a seaside public area outside Vancouver, which stood in for Crockett Island.[17]

Music[]

Midnight Mass
Soundtrack album
ReleasedSeptember 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)
GenreSoundtrack
Length1:34:57
LabelMaisie Music Publishing

The soundtrack for Midnight Mass was released in September 2021. The music for the series was scored by The Newton Brothers, Andy Grush and Taylor Newton Stewart, who have worked with series creator Mike Flanagan on each of his projects since his 2013 film Oculus.[18] The soundtrack features reimagined Christian hymns, along with original pieces from The Newton Brothers.[19]

Midnight Mass track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Abide With Me"2:41
2."Hail the Day that Sees Him Rise"3:12
3."Holy Holy Holy"2:25
4."Lead Kindly Light"2:31
5."Come, Darkness"4:14
6."Were You There"2:56
7."O Sons and Daughters"3:35
8."Holy God We Praise Thy Name"6:02
9."Nearer My God To Thee"4:47
10."The Power of Faith"3:09
11."Mortuus Feles"3:58
12."Mercy"4:41
13."Aftermath"2:41
14."Dignity"6:02
15."The Sea"1:56
16."Angel of God"2:09
17."Lead Kindly Light (Instrumental)"2:50
18."Faith & Family Blood"6:01
19."Prayer"3:31
20."Act of Contrition"2:45
21."Hurt"3:02
22."12th Century Revenants"2:09
23."Communion"1:31
24."Nearer My God To Thee (Instrumental)"8:02
25."Body of Christ"2:42
26."Were You There (Instrumental)"5:24
Total length:94:57

Release[]

Midnight Mass was released on Netflix on September 24, 2021.[2]

Reception[]

Hamish Linklater received widespread acclaim for his performance as Father Paul.

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an 86% approval rating with an average rating of 8.10/10, based on 92 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "An ambitious meditation on grief and faith that is as gorgeous as it is unsettling, Midnight Mass's slow boil is a triumph of terror that will leave viewers shaking – and thinking – long after the credits roll."[20] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 23 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21]

Critics praised Flanagan's direction, the performances, and the series' unique approach to the vampire genre. Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the series an "A–" grade and wrote that it "isn't perfect, but it is a keenly affecting, beautifully acted reflection on death, faith, guilt, addiction, and the power of free will."[22] Judy Berman of Time gave it a very positive review, calling it Flanagan's best series yet and praised the performances of Zach Gilford, Kate Siegel and especially Hamish Linklater.[23] Jen Chaney of Vulture called Linklater's performance "phenomenal" and believed he elevated the series to "moments of greatness," writing: "he speaks as if he's discovering his way through every sentence and wants you to come with him."[24] David Fear of Rolling Stone wrote, "the three-layers-deep work that Linklater is doing over these seven episodes is extraordinary." Fear also praised Flanagan's directing, stating that "It’s the way that [he] carefully sets everything into place in anticipation of a bigger-picture nightmare that makes the payoffs so satisfying."[25] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times called the series "the best Stephen King story Stephen King never wrote" and stated, "even though this is an original work from Flanagan, it feels like a high-level adaptation of a particularly haunting King novel."[26]

The series' writing and pace drew more mixed responses, with frequent criticism directed at the script's perceived overabundance of monologues. Jack Seale of The Guardian gave the series three out of five stars, praising Flanagan's filmmaking, but criticizing the series for its "bloated dialogue" stating that "When the end comes at last, there is a lot of fire and viscera, but no rapture."[27] Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the series two and a half stars out of four, further criticizing the dialogue and religious themes, stating that the series "can be a little exhausting in its preachiness." Tallerico felt that the series' emphasis on its philosophical themes came at the expense of its horror elements, writing, "most of the lengthy conversations are well-scripted, engaging enough in their dialogue, but they also drain a lot of the momentum from the piece." He also criticized the series' visual effects as "generally inferior to both Haunting projects," stating "Flanagan has always worked better with shadows in the dark than when he has to reveal them."[28]

The show's creators insisted that the series was not anti-religious or anti-Catholic.[29] A Catholic priest who reviewed the show said its depiction of how religion treats sin was accurate, but the series showed a poor understanding of how religion treats afterlife,[30] while Premier Christianity states that the show "contains some of the fairest treatments of Christian characters I’ve seen on screen" and "also has a prophetic message to the Church."[31]

Accolades[]

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2022 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Limited Series Midnight Mass Nominated [32]
Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television Hamish Linklater Nominated
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television Zach Gilford Nominated
Writers Guild of America Awards Original Long Form Mike Flanagan, James Flanagan, Elan Gale, Dani Parker, Jeff Howard Pending [33]

References[]

  1. ^ Kennedy, Michael (January 22, 2020). "Midnight Mass: What We Know So Far". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Petski, Denise (August 9, 2021). "'Midnight Mass': Mike Flanagan's Netflix Horror Series Unveils First Trailer, Premiere Date". Deadline. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  3. ^ Gemmill, Allie (February 5, 2020). "Mike Flanagan's 'Midnight Mass' Cast Includes 'Hill House' Alums Henry Thomas & Kate Siegel". Collider. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  4. ^ Squires, John (August 17, 2020). ""Midnight Mass": Filming Has Begun on Mike Flanagan's New Netflix Horror Series". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  5. ^ Rahul Kohli [@RahulKohli13] (October 8, 2021). "Okay this is getting embarrassing now. His name is Sheriff Hassan..." (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 8, 2021 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ Williams, Jordan (September 26, 2021). "Where To Spot Carla Gugino's Midnight Mass Cameo". Screen Rant. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  7. ^ Maas, Jennifer (September 27, 2021). "'Midnight Mass' Producers Break Down Biblical References to Father Paul's Heavenly Secret". The Wrap. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  8. ^ Williams, Jordan (September 26, 2021). "Midnight Mass' Books: Every Episode Title Meaning Explained". Screen Rant. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  9. ^ Flanagan, Mike (September 27, 2021). "The Deeply Personal Horror of 'Midnight Mass' – Guest Essay by Filmmaker Mike Flanagan". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  10. ^ King, Darryn (September 24, 2021). "Mike Flanagan Explores His Private Horrors in 'Midnight Mass'". The New York Times. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  11. ^ Roots, Kimberly (July 1, 2019). "Haunting of Hill House Creators' Horror Series Midnight Mass Greenlit at Netflix". TVLine. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  12. ^ Petski, Denise (February 5, 2020). "'Midnight Mass': Zach Gilford, Kate Siegel & Hamish Linklater To Lead Cast Of Netflix Horror Series". Deadline. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  13. ^ Hermanns, Grant (March 13, 2020). "Netflix Delays Production on Mike Flanagan's Midnight Mass". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  14. ^ Baxter, Joseph (August 17, 2020). "Mike Flanagan Netflix Series Midnight Mass Starts Production". Den of Geek. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  15. ^ Travis, Ben (August 17, 2020). "Mike Flanagan Marks First Day Of Shooting On New Netflix Horror Series Midnight Mass". Empire. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  16. ^ "DGC BC Production List" (PDF). Directors Guild of Canada. September 18, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  17. ^ St. Clair, Josh (September 24, 2021). "Is Crockett Island From Midnight Mass a Real Place?". Men's Health. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  18. ^ Ehrlich, Brenna (April 12, 2021). "From 'Doctor Sleep' to 'Midnight Mass': Mike Flanagan and the Newton Brothers Discuss Collaborative Magic". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  19. ^ Mithaiwala, Mansoor (September 24, 2021). "Every Song In Midnight Mass". ScreenRant. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  20. ^ "Midnight Mass". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  21. ^ "Midnight Mass – Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  22. ^ Baldwin, Kristen (September 23, 2021). "Midnight Mass review: A deeply affecting tale of faith gone wrong". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  23. ^ Berman, Judy (September 20, 2021). "Netflix's Catholic Horror Story Midnight Mass Is One Hell of a Halloween Binge". Time. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  24. ^ Chaney, Jen (September 23, 2021). "Midnight Mass Provokes More Thoughts Than Screams". Vulture. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  25. ^ Fear, David (October 5, 2021). "The Most Terrifying Show on TV Right Now? It's 'Midnight Mass'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  26. ^ Roeper, Richard (September 22, 2021). "'Midnight Mass': The best Stephen King story Stephen King never wrote". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  27. ^ Seale, Jack (September 24, 2021). "Midnight Mass review: blood-soaked horror loses the faith – and the plot". The Guardian. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  28. ^ Tallerico, Brian (September 24, 2021). "Midnight Mass". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved October 4, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ Cressler, Matthew J. (October 25, 2021). "The Netflix Series That Should Make Religious People Uncomfortable". The Atlantic. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  30. ^ Klein, Terrance (October 27, 2021). "What does a Catholic priest think about 'Midnight Mass'?". America. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  31. ^ Langley, Jonty (October 28, 2021). "Midnight Mass: The Christian horror series with a challenging message for the Church". Premier Christianity. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  32. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (March 13, 2022). "Critics Choice: Ted Lasso, Succession Lead TV's Big Winners; Squid Game and Yellowjackets Among First-Timers". TVLine. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  33. ^ Schneider, Michael (January 13, 2022). "Writers Guild Unveils 2022 WGA TV Award Nominees: 'Yellowjackets,' 'Hacks,' 'Reservation Dogs,' 'Only Murders in the Building' and More". Variety. Retrieved January 13, 2022.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""