Jeff Nichols' Midnight Special evokes the '80s movies Spielberg used to make

By Steven Zeitchik
Updated April 20 2016 - 1:23pm, first published April 17 2016 - 12:15am
Jaeden Lieberher as Alton and Michael Shannon as Roy in <i>Midnight Special</i>. Photo: Ben Rothstein
Jaeden Lieberher as Alton and Michael Shannon as Roy in <i>Midnight Special</i>. Photo: Ben Rothstein
Joel Edgerton as Lucas, Michael Shannon as Roy and director Jeff Nichols on the set of <i>Midnight Special</i>. Photo: Ben Rothstein
Joel Edgerton as Lucas, Michael Shannon as Roy and director Jeff Nichols on the set of <i>Midnight Special</i>. Photo: Ben Rothstein
Kirsten Dunst plays the mother of gifted child Alton in <i>Midnight Special</i>. Photo: Ben Rothstein
Kirsten Dunst plays the mother of gifted child Alton in <i>Midnight Special</i>. Photo: Ben Rothstein
Jaeden Lieberher's Alton has supernatural powers in <i>Midnight Special</i>. Photo: Ben Rothstein
Jaeden Lieberher's Alton has supernatural powers in <i>Midnight Special</i>. Photo: Ben Rothstein
Matthew McConaughy in <i>Mud</i>. Photo: Jim Bridges
Matthew McConaughy in <i>Mud</i>. Photo: Jim Bridges
Steven Spielberg's <em>Close Encounters of the Third Kind</em>, with Melinda Dillon and Richard Dreyfuss, was an inspiration for Jeff Nichols.
Steven Spielberg's <em>Close Encounters of the Third Kind</em>, with Melinda Dillon and Richard Dreyfuss, was an inspiration for Jeff Nichols.

 

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