Midnight Mass

second time around, this time with friends! i have been wanting to revisit this baby since i watched it when it first came out. i remember seeing a clip on tiktok or youtube shorts of the actual "midnight mass" and only watching a split-second of it because i knew it'd be something i'd want to watch. i'm not the biggest horror guy, and certainly not horror with religious commentary. i've always found the genre to be a little pedantic, especially as someone who grew up with a catholic-raised mother who didn't want me and my brothers to have anything close to her religious upbringing. however, something about MIDNIGHT MASS really called to me. art critiquing religion is nothing new whatsoever, but this is one of the first (and best) things i've consumed that really focuses on the hypocrisy and troubles with this specific modern sect of christian fanatics - a breed of people who have toed the line between actual faith and a sort of ludicrous narcissism largely due in part to the internet. interestingly, flanagan doesn't set this story in the digital age. it may be modern, but choosing to have his plot unfold on a cozy, remote island off the east coast is such a cool choice. it not only heightens the biblical themes but also really drives home the fact that these people think and act like they are living in some separate plane of reality, far away from the people who disagree with them. the vibe flanagan manages to create is still so cozy, especially in the earlier episodes before shit really hits the fan. all of the acting is totally outstanding. hamish linklater is fucking brilliant - one of the best performances i think i'll ever see and one of the most complex characters i've watched in a while. samantha sloyan is also great in her role of "worst person i have ever encountered". i get the feeling that kate seigel plays a lot of really similar characters but her character in MM is just so comforting that i don't care if she exists elsewhere in the flana-verse. rahul kohli also a standout as "cool ass sheriff". my one gripe is that when shit gets crazy, it gets a little too crazy. i really appreciated the first episodes for the mystery of what's about to happen, so when that guise is lifted and you realize that crazy priest man brought a fucking vampire angel to town, it's a little like ???? don't get me wrong, it's not a bad thing. i think i just would have liked to explore the world of crockett island a little more first. i watched this with will and he said that flanagan really showed his hand early with the angel reveal in the 3rd episode, which i think was both detrimental and beneficial: the show didn't need to be any longer, but i think i wanted to question what i was getting into in more detail before it was thrown at me. all in all, i've only seen two mike flanagan projects but this rewatch cements him as one of my favourite working filmmakers. as an actor myself, it makes me so happy to see his little ensemble he's formed over his years in the biz. these people want to work with him and almost exclusively him alone. and they're all so great! i will be watching THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER with my father and cannot wait to see basically the entire cast of MM in it. flanagan heads unite!