The Vast of Night makes listening and local curiosity feel cinematic. Its dialogue and sound are more memorable than the familiar parts of its mystery, and the small-town atmosphere gives it a welcome personality.
Spoiler-free review.
The Vast of Night gets its best energy from people who are interested in what they are hearing. Sierra McCormick and Jake Horowitz give that curiosity a lively, slightly impatient quality. Their characters want to keep a conversation moving without knowing where it might lead. The performances make the investigation feel like something happening between people.
Andrew Patterson makes sound the heart of the film. An account or an unexplained signal can hold attention without an immediate picture to settle it. I liked the patience that requires from the film. It gives the act of listening some suspense, which suits a story shaped by radio and telephone communication.
The dialogue has a pleasing momentum. The more relaxed exchanges help establish a small-town world beyond the immediate mystery. That sense of ordinary life matters because it gives unfamiliar information something to interrupt. The film feels more distinctive when it stays close to those voices and the curiosity they share.
Some of the mystery follows recognisable paths, and the presentation occasionally calls attention to its own cleverness. I was more taken with the atmosphere than with the explanation of what is happening. Even so, this is a small film with a clear idea of how to hold attention. Its confidence in listening is its best quality.
2019 · English. Film details · Poster source · Artwork © its respective rights holders.
The Vast of Night makes listening and local curiosity feel cinematic. Its dialogue and sound are more memorable than the familiar parts of its mystery, and the small-town atmosphere gives it a welcome personality.
— Desly