'Midnight Mass' Review: Hamish Linklater and Samantha Sloyan steal the show
'Midnight Mass' might fall under the category of horror, but the series deep dives into a range of themes, such as psychological horrors, religious fanatism and the human psyche in general. As per the official synopsis -- " 'Midnight Mass' tells the tale of a small, isolated island community whose existing divisions are amplified by the return of a disgraced young man (Zach Gilford) and the arrival of a charismatic priest (Hamish Linklater). When Father Paul's appearance on Crockett Island coincides with unexplained and seemingly miraculous events, a renewed religious fervor takes hold of the community - but do these miracles come at a price?".
While vampire based stories are seldom scary, what truly makes 'Midnight Mass' so unsettling is the sheer conviction of the characters when it comes to their faith. If you're looking for similar titles, you might want to check out -- 'Demonic' and 'The 8th Night'.
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Hamish Linklater as Father Paul steals the show — between his over-the-top, convoluted but compelling sermons and his conviction that he is God's servant here the deliver the townsfolk, it's hard not to get pulled into his version of religion he sells. Linklater's mannerisms as a preacher are hard to fault, from his diction to his dialogue delivery, everything about it has you slightly on edge, purely because of the conviction behind it all, something that you only see in godmen type of a people. But no leader is complete without their right-hand man or in this case, woman.
Samantha Sloyan as Bev Keane is a force to be reckoned with. Her stoic expression combined with her steady voice reciting scriptures paints a portrait of a religious fanatic that will go to any length in the name of faith. Although Sloyan pulls off her role effortlessly, if there is one thing fans should watch out for, it is how she cities scriptures and passages to suit her own motives and her flawed reasoning behind it all.
Right up until the end, Sloyan steals the screen -- even as her character watches Hassan (Rahul Kohli), the Muslim sheriff and his now-vampire son, pray for the last time, you can almost taste her distaste for the scene. Yet, even in her dying moments, she holds on to her convictions, refusing to let them go. The series, on the whole, is void of jump scares and the typical horror elements and at the risk of sounding cliched, goes on to prove that the real monsters are humans. However, what adds layers to this plot point are seemingly good intentions that Father Paul has when he brings the vampiric being to the island.
He is so convinced that he can help save everyone, he is immediately blindsided to what that creature might be and assumes it to be an angel instead of the harbinger of darkness. The series offers insight into the darker side of the human psyche and the lengths we go to convince ourselves that we are doing the right thing.
'Midnight Mass' is now streaming on Netflix.