A Vastidão da Noite

One of the most important things in thrillers but even more so in horror movies, is that things happen at night. At least when it's dark (outside), because that is more likely to reel viewers in and make them easier to be susceptible to be afraid and scared.

Now this is more of Science Fiction touch, still works with many of the things I mentioned. Having said that, mostly this works in your head. There is not so much visually (scary), but what you hear and what you think and imagine happening. And maybe you're just imagening? Or our main characters are ... well played and acted, this is low budget and the pacing is not something everyone is willing to endure. Whoever is and likes that, will be thoroughly entertained though.

This, for me, was a near perfect film. Although Its subject matter was of little interest to me, everything else from the score , the lighting the editing AND the magnificent performances were beautiful. The best i've seen for a while. It was a film with so much mood i was mesmerized after the initial 5 (annoying) minutes and was transfixed till the very end. Go see this little gem.

Call me the weird one, but this movie is trippy. Watching the story go in and out of drone photography, blackouts, black and white to color was fascinating. The director made it work, the acting was intriguing, watching the teenage girl scurry from place to place and all the charm of a trusting small town, well-it I loved it. Very unique.

"The Vast of Night" was recently purchased by Netflix and so it should soon appear on the website. For now, it's playing the film festival circuit...and I saw it at the Philadelphia Film Festival. I am glad I did, as the movie really managed to produce a huge bang for very few bucks. To make up for the low budget, the movie is very dark and makes the most of creepy music and a creepy atmosphere.

The story is designed like an installment of a 1950s teleplay--a movie made for television. It opens on a television screen and soon the camera pans in and the movie begins in earnest. It is set in a tiny Texas town and stars mostly two folks, a young man and his teenage lady friend. The pair hear strange sounds at night that are unexplained...and the rest of the town never notices since nearly everyone else is at the local high school basketball game. What are the sounds and who is responsible? Watch the film!

The director is the star her as well as the folks who created the look of the picture. A must-see for young filmmakers who need to see how to make a very good film for next to nothing! In fact, a lot of big-name Hollywood filmmakers also might benefit from seeing this as well!

I thought it was well acted and the story well told, it could have been about 30 mins longer, slightly slicker in the way 80s movies set in the 50's were made with a bit more background to the characters or a plot twist.

Nowhere near as polished or as captivating as Fire in the Sky or Close Encounters but thats not a negative.

Anyone who likes the old Twilight Zones or good old fashioned storytelling will appreciate this so that rules out anyone with a short attention span or those that prefer big explosions and stunt action type movies.