Midlands Review of Midnight
midlandsmovies • June 28, 2020
Midnight
Directed by AR UGAS
2020
Director and writer AR Ugas sinks his teeth into the repercussions of health, life and death in recently released short film Midnight, which also delves into a dark concoction of family and folklore.
A young couple (Adaya Henry and Ben Thorne) are told by a mysterious Frenchman (Mathias Andre) that their daughter is terminally ill. He gravely explains to them she is going to die but when he asks them to bring her to a room, he requests that the desperate parents shouldn’t enter no matter what they hear.
His demonic smile then cuts to 6 months later, where the parents are discussing their stressful day jobs. More problematic though are the tracks on their arms. Rather than any drug addiction however, the two are draining blood to feed their now vampiric offspring.
Director AR Ugas has previously tackled mythical subject matter (his Lord of the Rings-inspired Return of the Ring brought a touch of Tolkien to the West Midlands) and it’s once again great to see a mix of reality and fantasy.
And director of photography James Alexander Barnett cleverly edits between the kitchen drama realism and some stark lighting when we delve into the more gothic elements.
As the father struggles to maintain his working life, he returns home early one day where his wife has captured a restrained a hooded man, who is held hostage in their front room. The realisation that the two can no longer provide enough blood for their daughter sparks a row about how far they’ll go to satisfy her thirst.
Created as part of the Back In Film development program, Midnight is structured well with enough supernatural elements to make the couple’s choices more complex throughout its runtime. As we reveal that more human hunting has been taking place without the father’s knowledge, tensions rise as to what they can do, and perhaps should have already done.
Using paranormal lore to hang questions of conscience on, the film’s success is helped by the two leads whose believable performances show us how honourable intentions can lead to wicked deeds. Their suburban house becomes a lair for monstrous arguments. And a disturbing finale asks what it means to save a life, and to take one too.
In the end, with a strong and determined vision from the filmmaker, if you’re a sucker for either vampire tales or killer drama then Midnight provides a filling meal of mortal moral dilemmas.
Michael Sales
I’ve mentioned this before in reviews for Midlands Movies; reviewing low budget, independently made films requires a change in mindset. There’s a level of compromise, with allowances made for the odd rough-around-the-edges performance or some shaky effects work.
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