I really enjoyed most of the movie thanks to the mystery factor, the actors who all play well - may it be the main or the supporting roles or the almost flawless production.

But there's so much build-up for something minor. Potential is definitely there, but disappointing in total.

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is another same-old family science fiction thriller with a story that seems to rip-off E.T. at every opportunity. Once again we have a film with a kid with special powers who finds himself on the run from the corrupt authorities and pursued by nameless government agents who want to bring him back for testing. As usual he's accompanied by a few good men who risk everything, including their own lives, to save him. What this film does have going for it are a couple of good actors in the form of Michael Shannon and Joel Edgerton; both deliver likeable and sympathetic turns, although Kristen Dunst feels shoehorned into the story and Adam Driver seems to be trying to be Jeff Goldblum throughout. The film is also well shot and the action and chase scenes are handled well; a shame, then, that it has such a passive, seen it all before so that it's impossible to get excited or involved in any of it.

In Texas, Roy Tomlin (Michael Shannon) and Lucas (Joel Edgerton) are being hunted by the cops for kidnapping eight year old Alton Meyer. Alton's adoptive father Calvin Meyer (Sam Shepard) leads the Ranch filled with his religious followers. They are raided by the FBI. NSA agent Paul Sevier (Adam Driver) is investigating the anomaly that is the boy. Alton shows unnatural powers with light streaming out of his eyes. Roy and Lucas eventually bring him to Sarah (Kirsten Dunst) on a rendezvous with destiny.

This has a great sense of sci-fi realism in a small indie. Shannon simply has intensity. There is a small hiccup when the boy gets captured by the authorities. That section feels disjointed with some logic problems. The movie unnecessarily over-reaches at that point. It could easily streamlined that into something grittier and smaller. In the end, this is a really nice sci-fi indie.