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“An isolated island community experiences miraculous events – and frightening omens – after the arrival of a charismatic, mysterious young priest.”

Director: Mike Flanagan
Streaming: Netflix
Release Date: August 6, 2021

Mike Flanagan is back. The Salem, MA (fitting, right?) horror writer and director is back on Netflix with a new chilling miniseries. Let’s get the goosebumps rolling.

Midnight Mass is a seven episode series that takes place on an isolated island community where miraculous events and scary omens begin taking place after the arrival of a mysterious priest. It stars the horror movie staple Kate Siegel, Zach Gilford and Hamish Linklater. There are other familiar face from the Haunting series in Rahul Kohli.

Flanagan, who gained acclaim for his The Haunting Of Hill House (2018) and The Haunting Of Bly Manor (2020), is on the record as saying that this original project is atop his power rankings.

In a letter released with the teaser, Flanagan wrote: “I’m just going to admit it… ‘Midnight Mass’ is my favorite project so far. As a former altar boy, about to celebrate 3 years of sobriety, it’s not had to see what makes this so personal. The ideas at the root of this show scare me to my core.”

Variety

The opening 10 seconds of the trailer sets the scene of a rundown town where everyone knows each other. Hence the people waving at one another. Cut to a quick shot of dark clouds rolling in, and you have the idea of evil entering the realm. People are boarding up for a little storm, but safe to say all the hardships these town folk are going to be put aren’t going to be so tangible.

Now enter the weirdness. We have what looks like a dead person glowing as if she is in the movie Color Out Of Space (2019) followed up by the priest (Hamish Linklater) really trying to convince someone that it was an act of god. God is going to be a major character in Midnight Mass.

The word/phrase repeated the the majority of this trailer is “Why?” Why are there people marching with torches. Why is there someone splitting blood in the sink. Why is everyone in this town so shady and jumpy all of a sudden?

After a series of quick cuts we get a close up on an eye that looks zombiefied with red hue throughout it. My gut reaction is that it looks a lot like Linklater’s eyebrows and the priest is in some deep shit. That is the last shot in the movie and really we don’t have much left to go on. And that is perfectly okay by me. Let’s allow the mystery and suspense wash over us.

Midnight Mass premiers on Netflix on Friday, September 24, 2021.

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