31 Days of Horror! Midnight Mass (Series Review)


When Riley Flynn is released from prison after serving time for vehicular homicide while driving under the influence, his homecoming is overshadowed by the arrival of a new priest to his hometown's small parish. Riley is still haunted by the memory of the girl he killed and lost his faith while searching for it for four years in prison.  But soon, his desire to fit in and face his sobriety is eclipsed by several supernatural events that begin to plague the island. Does Father Paul's presence herald the island's salvation, or their ultimate doom?

Midnight Mass is the newest series on Netflix written and directed by Mike Flanagan. Fans would know him for his previous successes with The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor series. To his credit, Midnight Mass is filled with Flanagan's signature moody atmosphere and rich, three dimensional characters.  It is also packed with lengthy dialogues between all of the characters, and dances pricariously along the line of being overdone.  Unlike other directors (I'm looking at your Tarantino) that flood their films with excessive dialogue, Flanagan somehow pulls it all together to keep you interested throughout.  (Although there were many times I almost fast-forwarded past Bev's rather lengthy speeches.)

Despite the preachy religious undertones (it is called Midnight Mass people), and predictable plot, the series is engaging enough to keep you pushing play if, for no other reason, than to see where it will end up.  My only wish is that there was less dialogue and more horror scenes.
 


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