Midnight Mass(Review)[Terrifying Theatrical Tuesday]

Mike Flanagan is quickly proving to be the modern master of horror between his films and series, and his latest series Midnight Mass is a prime example as to why. His exploration of horrors in a small town shows influence from Stephen King, which makes sense since Flanagan has adapted King works in the past. His series also gave a central theme they explore, and this one deals with religion and the power of addiction.

The plot of the series is about Riley Flynn who returns to his home in the sleepy Crockett Island after serving time for a drunk driving accident that killed a young woman. At the same time, an enigmatic priest arrives, and soon his congregation grows as he performs a miracle of making a paralyzed girl walk again. Soon after, more miraculous things happen and questions arise concerning if the miracles are an act of God or something else.

Right away, you will recognize the King tropes such as the town drunk, the holier than thou woman, and the bad ass sheriff willing to stand up for what is right even though he is discriminated against due to differing views of God. Every one in the community is racist as heck, making jabs at him due to his ethnicity, and it is clear hardly anyone respects him. As far as the real evil that plagues the town, it reminded me a good bit of Salem’s Lot. I like the fact how we eventually got to see how the entity perceived the world as his “blessing” infected more and more of the congregation. By the end of the series, only a select few are spared.

This series really says a lot about religion, and how easy it is to fool yourself into believing in something just because you think God is responsible. Even at the end, the people think they are acting the will of God despite the fact they are committing atrocious acts. We also explore addiction…addiction to alcohol as well as power. Power can be intoxicating as well and hard to give up. By the time everything is said and done, the priest realizes his folly,but it is too late to do anything about it.

The series also gives us the most poignant views on death I ever seen. Riley and his romantic interest have a talk of what they think happens when they die. He gives us the atheist take on that, while the woman gives us the spiritual version. At the end, we revisit her thoughts on death, and it’s enough to move you to tears.

As a whole, the series is great. It built up for the horrors to come, and the bloody finale was fantastic. This was an original idea from Mike Flanagan based on his experiences in the Catholic faith, which I felt was dealt with in a superb matter. If you enjoyed his other series, and if you are a fan of Stephen King, then you will love this. It is currently streaming on Netflix and I give my highest recommendation to check it out.

If you already seen Midnight Mass, feel free to leave your thoughts below!!

Till next time, stay scared!!
-Tha Thrilla –