Review: Netflix ‘Midnight Mass’ is a Mixed Bag of Angels, Monsters and Monologues

‘Midnight Mass’ is now streaming only on Netflix. Reader Beware Spoilers!!!!

Mike Flanagan‘s latest Netflix limited series, ‘Midnight Mass‘, just premiered last week. The story plays out over seven episodes and stars a number of familiar faces from previous Flanagan projects. Including Hamish Linklater(The Stand), Zach Gilford (Good Girls), Kate Siegel (Hill House, Bly Manor, Hush), Rahul Kohli (Bly Manor), Alex Essoe (Bly Manor), Annabeth Gish (Hill House), Robert Longstreet (Hill House), Samantha Sloyan (Hill House), Henry Thomas (Hill House, Bly Manor) and Michael Trucco (Hush), also with Annarah Cymone, Igby Rigney, Crystal Balint, and Matt Biedel. 

The series focuses on Riley (Gilford) a disgraced young man who returns to the small community on the isolated Crockett Island. Unfortunately, his arrival coincides with that of a mysterious priest, Father Paul (Linklater). The town, already divided, begins to descend into religious fervor after some unexplained and seemly miraculous events.

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Going Home

Midnight Mass opens on a car accident caused by a recklessly drunk Riley, in which ends with the death of the other driver. Flanagan executes the scene expertly, from the flashing lights and grittiness of the noise and tone of the everything. Riley is overcome with the gravity of his decisions and his guilt he loses all faith in any higher power. The shock from both him and his family seems true to human nature.

Which is something that I have always really enjoyed about Flanagan‘s work. We follow Riley as he makes his way from the crash through his time in jail. Meeting back up with him as he makes his way back home to Crockett Island, a tiny island with a total of 127 residents living upon it.

Crockett is a dying town, but the residents seem reluctant to let it die. As everyone seems to be slowly leaving the island, Riley and a few others have found their way there. Erin Greene (Siegel), who ran away when she was just sixteen, found her way back to Crocket just a few months before Riley. Father Paul (Linklater) shows up the same day as Riley and causes even more of a stir than he does.

Crocket Island

From the beginning of Midnight Mass, I had issues liking the folks that live on the island. Crockett Island is a place where people go to live hard lives and hide from the outside world. There’s nothing that makes these people particularly awful, with the exception of the overtly pious Bev Keane (Sloyan). However, they each have their own human tribulations and none of them seem to be friends. This island is full of people who don’t like each other, but as Stephen King told us in The Storm of the Century, island folk always stick together.

Robert Longstreet (Doctor Sleep) plays drunk resident Joe Collie, and is the best character of the wholes series. Going from a smart-ass, hungover town menace, to a deeply wounded and sad man who genuinely wants to be better. Longstreet‘s ability to tap into different layers of humanity is a testament to his dedication as an actor and is something to marvel at. However, Joe isn’t the only damaged one, the whole town is full of past grief and unexplored traumas.

They also are not brief when it comes to exploring their hidden issues, often discussing out their feelings through long drawn out monologues. Not only exploring what is currently happening but drudging through lots of exposition and back story at the same time. Back story that seems to beg us to actually like these characters. However, I just couldn’t like these people.

Right off the bat they explain how they sent their aging priest, whom sometimes wanders around town incoherently, on a trip abroad, by himself. They all explain how this was a chance of a lifetime, failing to be worried about his safety. The people of Midnight Mass are not likable, but coming from a small Iowa town myself, I can say that Flanagan has made these characters true to life.

Thats No Angel

Horror fans most likely saw the vampire hints coming in the first episode. When people just start de-aging and drinking blood, it seems it’s the only possible outcome, but I’m not sure if Midnight Mass is a vampire-less universe. However, after the reveal of the so-called angel, all I wanted was someone to yell out: “thats a vampire.”

The lore of finding a hidden cave in Jerusalem and bringing back a vampire is very interesting. Viewers just don’t get enough of the vampire to really drive home the horror aspects. The series can’t decide if it wants to be a dramatic piece of storytelling that gives each one of its fantastic performers adequate screen time. Or a gory parable of the dangers of blind faith. Don’t get me wrong there is blood, but the series fails to give satisfying deaths or enough blood, even in its finale. Bev Keane’s end wasn’t satisfying enough for the hatred we built after watching her literally be the worst for seven episodes.

Never Get Caught Monologuing

They monologue so much that Erin gets caught in the final act during a tense scene. Followed directly by another character stalling for time. Mike Flanagan‘s ability to write with depth and attention to story is on full display in Midnight Mass. I just wish he would have gone further with the horror and gore, which could have married the two genres well.

Moreover, Crockett Island is a place where everyone really likes to talk and where people go to hide away from the world. The whole island is a sad place right from the get go and by the end there has only been a few redeemable characters and satisfying deaths. Which is the whole point of the blood and gore, to satisfy the balance of the bad getting theirs and the good coming out on top.

The message does come through at the end, we can do awful things when we think we are the right. But there’s a lot to wade through to get to the good stuff in this slow burn, dramatic series. Midnight Mass is more than worth the watch for the talent in it alone, but theres also a cool monster story hidden underneath all the human drama.

You can watch all seven episodes of Midnight Mass now streaming on Netflix. What did you think of Midnight Mass? Leave a comment below and let us know! Be sure to follow ScaryNerd for all things horror, sci-fi and more.

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