The Vast of Night (2020)
81%RT Audience Score: 66%
Awards & Nominations: 12 wins & 44 nominations
An engrossing sci-fi thriller that transcends its period trappings, The Vast of Night suggests great things for debuting director Andrew Patterson
The Vast of Night” is like a time machine that takes you back to the 1950s, but with better camera work and special effects. It’s a sci-fi movie that’s not trying to be the next blockbuster hit, but rather a love letter to the genre. The dialogue is snappy, the acting is top-notch, and the story is intriguing. It’s like “The Twilight Zone” meets “Stranger Things,” but with its own unique twist. So, grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and get ready for a wild ride through the vast unknown.
Production Company(ies)
Fox Searchlight Pictures, Voletta Wallace Films, Bystorm Films,
Distributor
Amazon Studios
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Prime Video), Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language
Year of Release
2020
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 30m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 15, 2020 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 31, 2020
Genre(s)
Fantasy
Keyword(s)
starring Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz, Gail Cronauer, Bruce Davis, Cheyenne Barton, Gregory Peyton, Adam Dietrich, Melissa Kirkendall, James Montague, directed by Andrew Patterson, written by James Montague, sci-fi, mystery, 1950s, small town, radio DJ, switchboard operator, strange frequency, mysterious signal, UFO, alien abduction, Twilight Zone, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The X-Files, Orson Welles, War of the Worlds, low-budget, one night, long takes, tracking shots, dialogue-driven, patient monologue, live theater performance, high-concept, cerebral, imaginative-dependent, resolution, emotional catharsis, top horror movies, top Netflix series, PG-13, Amazon Studios, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Robert Levin, Nick Schager, Adam Nayman, Brad Newsome, tt stern-enzi, Tasha Robinson, Victor Pineyro, Brian Eggert, Jason Shawhan, Robin Holabird, Katherine McLaughlin
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Jake Horowitz – Everett
Gail Cronauer – Mabel Blanche
Bruce Davis – Billy (Voice)
Cheyenne Barton – Bertsie
Gregory Peyton – Benny Wade
Director(s)
Andrew Patterson
Writer(s)
James Montague
Producer(s)
Adam Dietrich, Melissa Kirkendall, James Montague
Film Festivals
Toronto
Awards & Nominations
12 wins & 44 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (246) | Top Critics (49) | Fresh (228) | Rotten (18)
“The Vast of Night” is an entertaining sci-fi nostalgia piece that’s made with an unusually high level of technical flair.
February 5, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Robert Levin
Newsday
TOP CRITIC
A low-fi genre gem that proves the age-old maxim that less is often more-especially when such minimalism is wielded by gifted artists.
February 2, 2021
Nick Schager
The Daily Beast
TOP CRITIC
The technical proficiency of Patterson’s debut is off the charts, and it’ll be interesting to see if and how this gifted filmmaker manages to maintain his independence…
January 27, 2021
Adam Nayman
The Ringer
TOP CRITIC
Writer-director Andrew Patterson and cinematographer M.I. Littin-Menz are at times breathtakingly mobile as their camera navigates a tiny world frozen in nicotine amber.
July 1, 2020
Brad Newsome
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
This one will leave the hairs on your arm standing up…
June 23, 2020 | Rating: A
tt stern-enzi
WXIX-TV (Cincinnati, OH)
TOP CRITIC
The story of The Vast of Night is nothing particularly special. The storytelling, though, is spectacular.
June 8, 2020
Tasha Robinson
Polygon
TOP CRITIC
Andrew Patterson’s work as writer, producer, director and editor of this film is simply incredible. Grainy to the bones and an homage to all OVNI sub-genre movies out there, while also becoming one of my favorites. Full review in Spanish
April 8, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
Victor Pineyro
Seventh Art Studio
The Vast of Night is a film of sharp and efficient craft, and its modest pleasures are bound to enthrall those who want to believe.
February 18, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
There’s nothing else remotely like this out there, but if there is, it’s waiting for a determined viewer to find it in the fusillade of data streaming throughout the world right now.
September 10, 2021
Jason Shawhan
Nashville Scene
Add other like good dialogue and actors who speak it well, and The Vast of Night works like a ray of light in the dark world of sci-fi retreads…
July 19, 2021
Robin Holabird
KUNR (Reno, NV)
This captivating debut feature pays affectionate and mischievous homage to 1950s sci-fi.
March 13, 2021 | Rating: 8.3/10
Katherine McLaughlin
VODzilla.co
A fun little gem of a flick highly influenced by and paying homage to The Twilight Zone, as well as some other science-fiction works of another era.
February 28, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Mark Meszoros
The News-Herald (Willoughby, OH)…
Plot
In 1950s New Mexico, two teenagers investigate a mysterious frequency that has descended upon their town in The Vast of Night, an engrossing sci-fi thriller that transcends its period trappings.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film in the Fresh Kernels database.
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