Jeff Nichols
The Bikeriders film evokes an interesting time and place in US history, in which Nichols’ ensemble cast take big swings – and get big enough hits.
Cult-like reverence, government involvement, the possible destruction of humanity, and living in a constant state of panic are all what would happen if Superman showed up today.
While Stranger Things lavishes in nostalgia, Midnight Special instead longingly looks forward. Here is our discussion and comparison of the two science fiction entries.
By the talented Jeff Nichols, Midnight Special is similar to the comic hero Superman, documenting how he would be depicted in the real world.
I first discovered Jeff Nichols back in 2013, when I happened to catch Mud in theaters. Not knowing what to expect, I still remember distinctly how I felt walking out of the theater – I absolutely loved everything about the film. I was stunned by its raw, understated beauty, with characters that lived and breathed, and a coming-of-age story that was uniquely captivating.
In Loving, Jeff Nichols’ historical drama about an interracial couple who helped change marriage laws in The United States, the characters are reflections of Nichols own lineage and it’s quite the different kind of biography.
The Supreme Court of the United States unanimously ruled in favor of Richard and Mildred Loving in 1967, overturning their conviction in the state of Virginia and effectively legalized interracial marriage across the nation. The court’s decision can hardly be considered a spoiler for Loving, though, as the case has regained national attention in recent years. The Loving’s outcome established that the rights of liberty and equality can be applied to marriage in the U.
The last weekend of TIFF is always bittersweet. On one hand, you’re so sleep-deprived from all the morning/early afternoon screenings that it’s a relief to have your regular schedule back in order. And yet, on the other, you feel a pang in your gut as you realize that the end is nigh – no more friendly crowds, no more of those endearingly irritating commercials, no more Q&As and no more beautiful venues to ogle over as you wait for the programmer to introduce the film (and TIFF has some cool programmers, too).
With only four movies to his name so far, and with features ranging in genre from coming-of-age dramas (Mud) to quasi-science fiction (Take Shelter), Jeff Nichols’ films have at least one thing in common (other than that they all star Michael Shannon): they are all intimate productions, both in style and in their focus on the tight-knit relationships around us. Often set in the American South where Nichols himself grew up, his films deal with familial struggles and upsets in usually uneventful communities.
All you should need to get excited for this film is the name Jeff Nichols. The writer/director of Mud, Take Shelter, and Shotgun Stories has made nothing but high-quality films, and his reward has been increasingly bigger budgets and bigger box office totals. Midnight Special is his first studio film, and while it’s being released on a crowded weekend led by Allegiant and Miracles from Heaven, I see no reason to think it won’t surpass Mud’s $21.
