A mysterious band of special powers surround a mysterious little boy and the father trying to protect him, in Jeff Nichols “Midnight Special”. An Amber Alert has been reported after father Roy (Michael Shannon) and son Alton (Jaeden Liberher) go on the run from a religious cult, after discovering the boy has special powers. Together, the two begin a search for the truth behind the powers and why Alton is the front-and-center focus for this powerful inheritance. What starts as a race from religious extremists and local law enforcement, quickly escalates to a nationwide manhunt involving the highest levels of the Federal Government. Led by an upstart, young agent thirsting to prove himself (Adam Driver), the bureau will stop at nothing to find the duo and protect the country from this shocking development. What the FBI doesn’t know though, is that Roy will do everything to protect Alton, and help fulfill a destiny that could change the world forever. “Midnight Special” is rated PG-13 for violence and action.

Jeff Nichols hits another homerun with a film that channels early 80’s Spielberg, and his ability to put science fiction first above everything else. To take “Midnight Special” at face value, earns this film the distinct honor of it being the very definition of Science Fiction. Basically, if you aren’t a fan of the genre, don’t even bother with this movie. The film starts off in unusual fashion; in the thick of things with this father and son duo on the run from the authorities hot on their tails. As to where most films begin with an explanation or some kind of backstory exposition, this film’s opening scene sets the pace for the very on-the-run procedural that we are getting ourselves into. That exposition does eventually come in small spurts. One of the problems I had was that certain questions about the boy and his powers never get answered. I’m not going to spoil anything, but I could’ve definitely used a little more explanation with the ambitious ideas that Nichols establishes. Aside from the plot, Jeff shoots this movie (Like his others) with a very slowburn feel. At only 106 minutes, it’s tough to get too lost on the slow build, and if you stick around, you will be rewarded with surprising blasts figuratively and literally behind every corner.

As far as interpretations go, I took a lot of the movie as a best of both worlds; combining the theology of science with the outline of Jesus’s journey to Jerusalem. There’s certainly enough room for interpretation with the very actions of Alton, and how his immense psychological stature has an almost holy-like effect on the small church town around him. It’s never pushed in one direction more than another, and that’s what really gives this film a lot of replay value with people who will enjoy it. Sometimes there is a lot to take in frame to frame with each scene, and a DVD option of slowing down and rewinding would definitely warrant a bigger approval from me to catch this film once it hits shelves, instead of a theater experience.

I want to talk a little bit about the infectiously uncoventional musical score that accompanied the film. Composer David Wingo worked with Nichols on his 2012 breakout hit “Mud”, so it was great to see him back, giving what I feel is some of the best musical scores of early 2016. Wingo weaves his way through orchestral pulse- setting rattles that add so much terror and intrigue to the multiple chase scenes in the movie. But just when you think you have David pegged out, he surprises you with a string of moody synth-pop numbers that appease the ears during some of the slower scenes. Great movie scores should always narrate some of the real fears and struggles that the characters find themselves in, and Wingo’s musical touch makes him as much, if not more important of a character in the story than the prominent cast.

On the subject of that cast, there are some real excellent casting decisions and performances that are exciting to see in an independent movie surrounding. Michael Shannon continues to nail down whatever role a movie asks of him. It hasn’t been often in his career so far that we have gotten to see the loving side of one of his characters, so it’s a welcome arrival to see him as a loving protector. Joel Edgerton continues the momentum after a career turning year in 2015 that offered a resurgence to one of Hollywood’s greatest secrets. Joel says as much in a single look as one hundred words would’ve done for him. There are those few actors who can communicate so much drive and emotion in a single frame, and Edgerton is one of those blessed few. The friendship between he and Shannon really establishes the credo of being there for the ones we love. It was leaps and bounds my favorite part of the movie, and their struggle against the complexity of an evolving situation is quality time with the audience. For those who didn’t catch 2014’s “St Vincent”, there is a powerful force among kid actors, and his name is Jaeden Liberher. The twelve-year-old actor is not only the front-and-center protagonist for the movie, but it’s in his emotional responses that gauges how the viewers will feel about this movie. It is a big task for a little boy, but he nails unmeasurable emotional depth with an imposing powerful presence that casts him several feet above his four-foot height. It’s so tough to look at this boy and think that he could ever be intimidating, but Alton is a little boy with great power, a scary concept for anyone with children.

Overall, “Midnight Special’s” ambitious reach sometimes does exceed its realistic grasp, but Jeff Nichols succeeds with a most unusual of projects with theological subtexts played with heart and soul. Even with such foreign creative concepts, we can always relate to the concepts of protecting the ones we love.

7/10