Dir: Jeff Nichols / 2016 / US / 112 min / DCP

In Midnight Special, acclaimed filmmaker Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Mud) takes on the sci-fi genre. A boy is kidnapped, but this just isn’t any boy, and the kidnapper just happens to be his father, Roy (Michael Shannon). Alton is nine years old and wields inexplicable gifts. Roy has set out to save his son from shady types, including government scientists and a religious cult, that want to exploit his otherworldly powers. What follows is an unpredictable road picture that feels like the best of Stephen King and Steven Spielberg combined into its own unique and enthralling adventure. Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com says, “(Midnight Special) is a breathtaking display of visual storytelling, confidently rendered by someone who understands the power of cinema.”