Midnight Mass (Mini-Review)

Midnight Mass is a Limited Series that tells the story of Riley Flynn returning to his home of Crockett Island after spending years in prison for killing a young woman in a drunk driving accident. While he tries to navigate his life after prison, a new young priest arrives on the island with a grave secret. Midnight Mass was released on Netflix in 2021. It is directed by Mike Flanagan. It stars Kate Siegel, Zach Gilford, Kristin Lehman, and Samantha Sloyan.

This show does a great job of talking about different points of view without casting judgment on any. Well...that is except for people who have belief systems like those of Bev Keane. So if you are afraid of watching this show because you think it's yet another piece of fiction showing Christians as pure evil, don't worry. Instead the show has examples of Christians who truly have faith, are just in it because it helps inflate their ego, and are exploring the faith.

I know this show most likely got a lot of attention because it was directed by Mike Flanagan. While I did love The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and Oculus (2013), his other works don't tend to make me as excited as those two. I don't blame him for Doctor Sleep (2019) as it was really held back by Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of The Shining. But that's another rant for another day, suffice it to say it's an enjoyable film. So when another Mike Flanagan series came to Netflix I was wondered if it would be a dud or if it would actually deserve the praise it received. Luckily it is one of the best shows of this year.

Midnight Mass doesn't really get going until the end of the third episode. This gives viewers time to understand the people on the island which is important as the series hinges on that. If you don't understand the beliefs and feelings of the island's inhabitants you won't be properly disturbed. The final two episodes are wild because you understand what's going on.

It's never stated if Bev Keane has killed anyone before the show, but I think it's very likely. There's just too many instances where she hardly considers the fact that she's killing human life. That and the fact she seems to consider strategies of killing and hiding dead bodies second nature. While it isn't confirmed on the show, I do think that she tried to kill Father Paul Hill. The series does a good job of showing how much she is trying to control the people of Crockett Island via religion. So it makes sense she would try to off someone that couldn't be controlled by her.

I loved the music choices in the show. As someone who is a former Catholic, I started singing along to some of the songs on the show. Since I watched it without revrezner, I didn't have to hold back. The music also changes as the series goes on. By the second to last episode the atmosphere makes otherwise happy songs very haunting.

I would recommend Midnight Mass to those who want a good horror series to sink their teeth into.