Netflix knows a good deal when they see it and when they find a hit show, you can bet they will look to replicate its success. Recently, that formula came to fruition after the success of The Haunting of Hill House, a huge horror hit for the streaming service in 2018. The filmmaker was named Mike Flanagan and Netflix wasted no time signing him up for another series, The Haunting of Bly Manor in 2020. Bly Manor wasn’t quite as big a success as Hill House, but it definitely put Flanagan on the road to making more content for Netflix. That brings us to 2021’s Midnight Mass.
Here is our spoiler-free review of the new show.
What’s it About?
Midnight Mass is another supernatural horror series, set in a small, isolated town of Crocket Island. And when we say small and isolated town, we mean 127 residents on an island about an hour from the mainland. It’s a tough place to grow up and live. The story kicks off with the return of one black sheep to the town. Riley Flynn fled the island and went to Chicago to make his fortune. He was successful but doomed his future by killing a young girl while driving drunk. He has just been released from prison and is headed home to live with his family on the island. We also meet another returning resident, young mother-to-be Erin, and a newly arrived sheriff.
There is one more new arrival, a young priest who has arrived to fill in for their long-time priest, Father Pruitt, who is expected back any day from a pilgrimage to the holy land.
The arrival of the new priest (Father Paul) coincides with miracles that start occurring. The sick become well, the paralyzed can walk, the elderly become younger. But, there are also mysteries, like a mass slaughter of stray cats, strange glowing eyes that appear in the darkness, and other oddities such as what’s inside the trunk that Father Paul has with him and where exactly is Father Pruitt?
You can assume that answers will be forthcoming to all of these questions.
Is it Scary?
Midnight Mass is a slow burn of a horror story. The first episodes carefully set up the larger nightmare that is happening around the edges. It’s a more personal horror story that deals with isolation, paranoia, and the meaning of death. But it does interweave some disturbing imagery. The slow build of the first half of the seven-episode moves at a slower pace, but once you get to the second half, things pick up terrifying steam.
Watch it or Not?
Midnight Mass might be the perfect pre-Halloween horror series binge-watch this year. If you have enjoyed Flanagan’s past Netflix series (Hill House or Bly Manor) or any of his films (Doctor Sleep, Hush, Gerald’s Game) then you will likely enjoy this one as well.
It does move a bit slowly at first (not unlike Hill House) so you need to give it some time to put the story into motion. But, once it picks up steam, watch out.
