Midnight mass

Year of release : 2021

 

Episodes run time : 1h-1h7min

 

Episodes number : 7

 

Genre : Horror / Mini Series

 

 

Episode 1 Book One - Genesis

 

The episode and series open with a car crash, in Chicago. Right after, the lead is sentenced to 4 to 10 years in jail for killing the teenager in the car he ran into,while drunk .

Four years later,he returns to where his family lives,to Crockett Island ,a very religious community (why do I always do this to myself?these kind of movies get me so enraged! )

He finds out his childhood sweetheart,who lived in New York,moved back to the island,and is pregnant.

 

We find out the priest ,very old,was also very sick,and in an attempt to make him happy,as a last wish before dying,the community paid a trip for him to the Holy Land.

 

A new priest comes to town,and assure them it's only temporary,their beloved priest will be back as soon as he gets better,as he is hospitalized.

 

We get to meet the very religious one of the community,and I hated her immediately,as she seems the kind of religious zelot,who,wouldn't mind to get her hands dirty in the name of God(as in,kill,as long as in her head is for the right reasons).

 

 

Episode 2 Book Two - Psalms

 

The lead,Riley, is battling his demons,as ever since the accident,he sees the girl he killed,all bloody,right in front of his eyes. He struggles,trying to find his place in the community,he can't find his purpose .

 

Him,Riley,and Erin,start seeing a man at night,whom to them looks like the old priest,but they are assured by the young priest he is bedridden in the hospital.

Even an old woman about whom people think she lost her minds,thinks she saw him,and she confuses the young priest with the old one.

 

 

Episode 3 Book 3 - Proverbs

 

We find out Proverbs means Wisdom.

We find out what happened to the old priest through the words of the new one's confession. I just loved the words he chose,such a beautiful narration.

 

Miracles happen as the priest healed Leeza,the paraplegic girl; the old woman is getting better,as her memory comes back.

The muslim boy wants to join church.

 

 

Episode 4 Book 4 - Lamentations

 

Erin finds out while at the gynecologist,her baby doesn't exist anymore.

Sarah's mother is getting younger and healthier.

 

Erin's blood boils in the sun. She goes on the mainland for a second opinion and after her tests show she was never pregnant,the doctor wants to give her psychiatric help.

 

Erin and Riley talk about how they see afterlife.

 

Father Paul turns out to be father John,and light hurts him. He's hungry,but not for human food. At the same time,I don't know if it's denial or whatnot,he believes an angel of God turned him into whatever he is now,due to the blood(it's in the Bible,and he,just like the religious zelot,Beverly, twists everything to match whatever he's going through),and the creature having wings.

 

 

Episode 5 Book 5 - Gospels

 

Gospel means Good News.

 

Riley is missing. Erin looks for him. She tells the sheriff.

 

The priest gives a weird speech about war on Good Friday,calling the congregation God's army.

The old woman who recognized him,now younger,wants no part in it.

 

We find out what happened to Riley.

 

 

Episode 6 Book 6 - Acts of the Apostles

 

After witnessing Riley burning in the sun,Erin goes to Sarah and tells her the story. Sarah tells her what happens to Erin's blood and her mother's when left in the sun. She also tells her this is what might have caused her to miscarry.

 

Riley wrote goodbye letters to his family,and his father takes them to the priest,telling him what's in them!This man is too old to be acting this way! Nobody that age is that stupid! He trusts a priest he barely knows over his own son! He left him the said letters,because,why not?

 

Sarah goes to the sheriff .He's afraid to intervene for he is a muslim.

 

Erin,Sarah and her mother want to leave the island but the ferry is gone. Amazingly,the other boats are not working. Could it be because the right men work on them?

The lights go off at night.

 

 

Episode 7 Book 7 - Revelation

 

The Easter Vigil was slaughter and now the turned are hunting the people to eat them. They knock on their doors, break them down and kill the people. Like animals.

 

Keep in mind,these are religious people who think this is what God wants and they are doing the work of God.

 

Apparently vampire movies don't exist in this universe the movie takes place,or if they do,they didn't watch one.

 

Bev becomes more delusional and even more despicable,and burns down the whole town,leaving just their shelter - although,the shelter was right next to other buildings burning.

Only the ones who attend church are allowed to live forever,as she turns away the one her minion turned,because he was just food for not attending church.

 

SPOILERS

 

There was a sort of poetic justice in seeing the ones who burnt people's houses have their shelter burnt. Also ,to see them perish. And the satisfaction they're all going to hell for the pain they caused others their whole existence, for the lives they took - in this episode we see what was Beverly doing with the rat poison,and where did the man they were looking for,disappeared.

 

I felt the righteous, although most of them dead in their attempt to keep the vampires contained,found redemption,and were the ones who found heaven.

 

Through the words of Leeza,saying she can't feel her legs anymore,we are supposed to understand the "angel" is dead,as his blood allowed her to walk,him gone,also made the blood in her veins belonging to him,die ( that's how it goes in the vampire lore,you kill the source,you get back to normal) .

 

I liked how at the end we get to hear the priest's real intentions,and that in the light of the new events,he's not evil just misguided (although,at his age is not understood) , he wants to take no part in the evil plot concocted by Beverly.

 

 

I loved the acting,especially from Zach Gilford,who seems lost,haunted,unable to find his place in this religious community,as he can't explain why such things happened to him.

The accident ruined his life,he was very successful,back in Chicago,but now,his father can barely look at him,and barely talks to him.

I loved the conclusion his character reached, the redemption he found,as in the end,he didn't see the girl all bloody and scary,which means he was forgiven for making the right choice. My opinion,at least.

 

Hamish Linklater was great too. Until this movie,I only saw him in comedies like ,The New Adventures of Old Christine( I just Googled him,and apparently he played in a lot of movies I watched like The fantastic 4,The Stand series,Legion series..which are horror,and I don't remember),and he was amazing as the priest,such depth,it was beautiful to watch. I also think the Wolff brothers, Alex and Nat,look like him.

 

I don't understand why they put young actors in old people roles,because it shows, even under the old makeup,it looks like a young person in old makeup,and it just doesn't look good.

 

The miniseries reminded me of the haunting vibe of the Stephen King's books,and due to the visual effects of The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor.

 

As a Netflix original,the miniseries are streaming on Netflix.

 

Rating : It's so money !