Mike Flanagan has quickly become one of the most notable filmmakers of the horror genre, first coming to note with Oculus back in 2013 and only growing stronger with his work ever since, playing a major part in modern horror having such a strong field of content. The success he had with his films enabled him to make the move to television, where he has struck a collaborative relationship with Netflix to produce some of the best series of the past decade. Both The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor were outstanding pieces of work from Flanagan and his latest, Midnight Mass, is right up there with both as a television series that possesses so much raw emotional power.
Midnight Mass tells the tale of a small, isolated island community whose existing divisions are amplified by the return of a disgraced young man (Zach Gilford) and the arrival of a charismatic priest (Hamish Linklater). When Father Paul’s appearance on Crockett Island coincides with unexplained and seemingly miraculous events, a renewed religious fervour takes hold of the community - but do these miracles come at a price?
In the wake of the success of both Haunting series, Midnight Mass could have slipped into the trap of being all too similar in both feel and content however, Flanagan avoids a copy and paste job with some fantastic writing throughout the seven episodes, covering a range of themes from family and love, with faith being the real driving force that makes this a true stand-out series. There's tortured souls amidst this small island community and Flanagan ensures there's plenty of depth to these characters with some questioning their faith, some letting it control their life and even some just flat out ingnoring it, making for such an intriguing boiling pot of characters, something Flanagan always ensures his work possesses.
Writing, directing and sometimes editing his own creation means Midnight Mass very much feels like Flanagan has total creative control over the project and it's all the better for it. Though it does feel odd to call this a personal project, considering the subject matter and events that unfold throughout, it's clear to sense the passion he has for telling such a rich story. There's plenty of moments that deliver on the horror aspect of it all, Flanagan knowing when to hold out on the audience enough to entice them to go further before really ramping things up in the last few episodes. To go alongside the horror of it all, Flanagan really hits the emotional chords with some incredibly poignant monologues scattered throughout, characters delving into their deepest thoughts on faith and humanity while the camera lingers on them, captivating the audience each and every time.
Midnight Mass is brought to life and given a distinctive visual style through the combination of Michael Fimognari's cinematography, honing in on the souls of the island's population with long takes aplenty, and Steve Arnold's incredibly detailed production design that really helps make Crockett Island feel more than just a setting and more like an actual character itself. It feels like such a cliché thing to say however, with series that deal with the supernatural it's almost always the case. The Newton Brothers continue their solid collaborative relationship with Flanagan with a more minimal score than in the likes of the Haunting series, the ominous strings coming into play throughout to great effect and a haunting rendition of Abide With Me moving me to tears in some of the more emotional moments of the series.
Coming to the performances, Midnight Mass has nothing but strength on its side. Returning to work with Flanagan again after such success in the Haunting series are Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli and Henry Thomas, each making their mark on the series with emotionally driven performances of such differing characters. Out of these, it's Kohli who truly shines as Sheriff Hassan, a Muslim who moved to the island with his son after some troubles at work back on the mainland. On an island where everyone attends mass regularly at the church he feels like a man struggling to fit in, not helped by a society who see him as an outcast and a son looking to explore another religion, and Kohli delivers such an empathic performance throughout.
The real standout of the series though is Hamish Linklater as Father Paul, the charismatic priest who takes the congregation under his wing. Linklater is electric in the role, impressing in both the quieter moments having heart-to-hearts with members of the community and the louder, where he's preaching to his congregation. There's no doubt in my mind that Linklater here delivers one of the best performance in television this year. Zach Gilford's performance as Riley Flynn is another impressive one, having to live with what he's done in the past while trying to move forward with his life causing a major confliction within that Gilford does a grand job in portraying to the audience. There's a character I can see being the one that people love to hate, for good reason mind, and that's all down to the fantastic performance of Samantha Sloyan as Bev Keane, a member of the church blinded by her devotion to her faith.
Midnight Mass is up there as some of Mike Flanagan's best work to date, certainly some of his more emotional, that peels back layers with each episode, culminating with one hell of a pay-off. This is quite simply television you do not want to miss.
Midnight Mass will launch globally on Netflix on September 24.
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