When most cinephiles hear Jeff Nichols’ name, they think of the director behind well-received independent films like Mud and Take Shelter. These are deeply dramatic, character-driven pieces that feature the acting chops of Academy Award-winners and nominees like Matthew McConaughey and Michael Shannon. They are not, however, movies driven by science fiction premises with seemingly typical story lines that involve mysterious beings, miraculous occurrences and military involvement. Yet Nichols’ latest project, Midnight Special, looks to be precisely that — according to the picture’s latest trailer, at least.
A previous trailer and a creepy clip have already clued viewers in to what kind of project Midnight Special is, but this new two-minute preview provides audiences with a bit more about the narrative, which sees Roy (Shannon) and his strange son, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) on the run from just about everyone. Along with Lucas (Joel Edgerton) and Sarah (Kirsten Dunst), Roy endeavors to keep his empowered child from the clutches of Sevier (Adam Driver) and the military. Aside from an additional plot hint involving their pursuit by a cult of some kind, however, very little is known about Midnight Special.
Considering the film’s pedigree — as well as the fact that it involves a boy with glowing eyeballs, bright lights flowing through his veins and impromptu meteor showers — the utter lack of detailed marketing is completely fine. Besides, with all the grandiose trailers that reveal the entire plot lines of their even more grandiose movies, what little we know about Nichols’ next film is enough to entice more curious eyeballs in its general direction.
Midnight Special hits theaters March 18.
