After The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, the bar was set very high for Mike Flanagan's next horror series. Thankfully, Midnight Mass delivers. It's a parade of horrors, constantly unveiling new nightmares, all wrapped around incisive commentary about the moral impact of religion.
Mike Flanagan is essentially a one-man production studio, routinely writing, directing, producing, and editing his projects, this one included. Alongside his extremely well received Netflix series, Flanagan has also directed a number of fantastic films, including Doctor Sleep, Hush, and the vastly underrated Before I Wake.
Midnight Mass is about a tiny island village with a triple-digit population, separated from the mainland by 30 miles of ocean in every direction. Ecological disaster and financial hardship weigh heavily on the citizenry. The setting is beautifully realized, the massive open sky is a constant companion, adding visual splendor and ominous background to every scene. The natural beauty of the island is juxtaposed against the crumbling infrastructure and dying industry. The local Catholic church is the town's focal point, and the only building that seems to be improving, rather than falling apart. The series begins as a new face takes command of the congregation.
Strange supernatural events begin to occur, all seemingly surrounding the sudden appointment of an enigmatic new priest. As his impassioned and dynamic sermons capture the soul of the town, real miracles begin to emerge without explanation. The island's few skeptics are left floundering as they witness what appears to be genuine divine intervention on behalf of the new priest. As the truth is slowly unveiled, faith is tested, horrors revealed, and a close-knit community threatens to turn against one another in an apocalyptic conflict.
Fans of Flanagan's work already know his style, and this series fits right in. The cinematography is excellent, full of long shots and busy frames. Fans will be eagerly scanning the scenery for hidden horrors, and frequently be rewarded for their acute eye. The design of the series' monsters is excellent, employing subtle twists on classic concepts to create something special. Some of the CGI is a bit dodgy, but the series is not effects-heavy enough for it to really ruin anything. The horror scenes range from simple jump scares all the way to massive chaotic spectacle. Flanagan's ghost stories are typically a little light on gore, but Mass occasionally cuts loose with some genuinely visceral blood and guts. While perhaps a bit less subtle than either of the Haunting series, the show certainly earns it in the long run.
The tone of Midnight Mass is positively gloomy, even its happiest moments are weighed down with social tension or existential dread. The atmosphere is brutal, it genuinely makes the audience feel on edge at all times, never sure when the next scare might appear. As the true nature of the story reveals itself, schoolboard bickering gives way to waves of violence, but the show always feels like its moments away from another heart-stopping reveal. Truly, this is a horror piece that teases big things, keeps its audience on pins and needles, then delivers on its promises by really going wild in its final episodes. The pacing is masterful, carefully drip-feeding information until the audience feels it has all the clues, then still finding new ways to shock.
The cast is not exactly star-studded, but everyone acquits themselves well enough. A couple of scenes fall flat in performance, but the overwhelming majority of the cast nails their complex role. Awkward conversations feel genuinely unpleasant to be in, characters sell multiple levels of hidden motivations and the religious characters witness like absolute pros. Some of the religious fervor is genuinely powerful, real fire and brimstone stuff. Mike Flanagan's wife and frequent star Kate Siegel is a standout, a ray of light in a dark town. Even as she is occasionally dragged down by the world around her, her warmth is infectious. And, of course, Hamish Linklater as Father Paul Hill is a revelation. Linklater has been praised heavily for his performance, and he deserves it, he outclasses scores of TV televangelists with a staggering mix of compassion, drive, and layers of hidden motivation.
The true horror of Midnight Mass is not in its violence or its supernatural events, it's in what it has to say about faith. Characters routinely debate the broad points of theology, and though much of their discussion is not groundbreaking, the real statement is not spoken aloud. As the truth is revealed, and the island's residents must grapple with heart-wrenching reality, it is their faith that commands and often condemns them. Its' tackling themes of social control, blind faith, religious discrimination, prayer in school, Christian rehab and even the grand concept of morality. Pulling all that off within the context of a suspenseful nightmare is an impressive feat, and making the social commentary as scary as what lies in the dark takes the deft hand of a master.
Midnight Mass is not perfect, but it is a complex tale of faith, sacrifice, and morality, woven into a solid horror series. Fans of Flanagan's work or horror, in general, would be well advised to dive right in, and witness the horror of Midnight Mass.