The Mosley Review: The Vast of Night
Simple and clean. When it comes to telling a high concept story with minimal effects, the most simple and clean way to do it is to focus on building atmosphere and tension. You don't always need over $100 million dollars to tell a great story. Sci-fi stories are built on shoe string budgets and this film followed that same principle. Set brilliantly within the frame of a classic Twilight Zone styled story, you are smoothly transported back to a small town in the 1950's. The pacing of the dialogue and character introductions was so immaculate and I felt as if I was watching a classic tv special. The tension in the film quickly builds after a lovely introduction to the town and when it starts, the film really begins to shine with the time given to build on the mystery surrounding the night sky. I had feared that there was gonna be a number of scenes that reveal everything too quickly, but I pleasantly surprised. The amount of restraint to show whats behind the curtain was expertly handled where most would have shown everything by the beginning of the third act.
The cast in the film was magnificent and there were no characters that didn't have unnecessary screen time. Jake Horowitz was outstanding as the fast talking, charismatic, town radio jockey Everett. Within the first 10 minutes, you get his personality and how fun he is. None of his moments were wasted because of Horowitz insanely magnetic performance. Sierra McCormick was just as charming and outstanding as Fay. From the moment she's on screen, she radiates with the classic southern bell charm. Her chemistry with Horowitz was off the charts and if the film was just about them, I wouldn’t have mind. Once the mystery kicks in, Sierra’s scenes at the switch board were the most fun and eerie. Bruce Davis delivers a great and chilling vocal performance as Billy. The way he describes his experiences was perfect and felt ripped right out of a classified audio recording. I actually felt myself leaning forward in my chair, hanging on to every word he said. Gail Cronauer was excellent as Mable and you get the most insight from her. Now at times I felt myself drift off when she was telling her story, but I quickly snapped back into the intrigue and haunting nature of her story.
The score by Erick Alexander and Jared Bulmer was perfect. It honed in on that B movie style and elevated the mystery. The cinematography was magnificent and I loved that it looked as if it was filmed with the natural light around the town. Even though it’s set in the span of one night, it is a darker looking film so I recommend watching at night. The many steady shots that establish the layout of the town were smooth and just eye candy. I really did love how alot of the film's key scenes are shot in a single take and how the camera slowly creeps in to build that tension and eerie vibe. Director Andrew Patterson has definitely studied the classic sci fi film genre and has made a stellar film debut. The influence of early Spielberg is felt throughout and it was a great homage. I truly loved this film and is definitely a contender for one of the best films of 2020. It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video and I highly recommend it.
