[...] the goal of the screenplay, or so it seems, is to keep audiences in the dark as to what is happening, on the assumption that, once we know, we won’t care.
The goal is to escape a police dragnet and transport the boy somewhere, but they’re driving a 1972 Chevelle.
“Midnight Special” is at its best in the opening minutes, when there is still hope that the mysteries might resolve in an interesting direction.
[...] the FBI — embodied by Adam Driver, who is almost as creepy-interesting as Shannon — is after the kid, as well, because he seems to know lots of national security secrets.
Ultimately, “Midnight Special” degenerates into a situation in which three people (Shannon, along with Kirsten Dunst as the mother, and Joel Edgerton as the best friend) are driving around with the little guy, and we don’t care if they’re caught or not, and we don’t care if they get there.
“Midnight Special” was written and directed by Jeff Nichols (“Take Shelter”), who clearly cared about the subject.
