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Over the past year, it seems like so much has gone so wrong. But in director George Clooney’s post-apocalyptic drama, The Midnight Sky, the disaster is even greater; the stakes are higher. And one man fights to save the lives of the few people who still have a chance to survive.
The Midnight Sky stars Clooney as a scientist in an arctic observatory who’s chosen to stay behind after all of the other residents have evacuated. Terminally ill and alone, he spends his days trying to get in touch with a ship that’s returning from exploring one of Jupiter’s moons, hoping to warn them of the worldwide disaster that’s waiting for them back on Earth. When communication fails, he sets out into a blizzard with a little girl who’s been accidentally left behind in an attempt to reach a more powerful antenna farther north.
As this deserted duo braves the elements, determined to make it to the remote outpost where communication might be possible, the five-person crew of the Aether attempts to return to Earth, even though they haven’t heard from Mission Control in weeks. These are two very different stories—one tense outer space thriller and one quiet, deliberately-paced, post-apocalyptic drama in the Arctic. And though Clooney’s character—and his quest to warn the astronauts of imminent danger—does loosely tie the two together, these two stories are so dissimilar that viewers will sometimes feel like they’re watching two separate films that have been awkwardly spliced together.
Both stories are interesting in their own way. Clooney’s character is understandably grim—and his story is quite bleak—but his determination is moving, and his adorable little companion (Caoilinn Springall) keeps it from getting unbearably heavy.
The Aether’s story, meanwhile, comes with its share of tension and drama—and, admittedly, a whole lot of questions, too. But it also feels very familiar. (I was constantly reminded of the Netflix series Away.) The characters are generally likable, and their fight to survive their return trip is sometimes gripping and suspenseful, but none of it is especially new or remarkable.
Together, these two relatively interesting storylines make for an odd pairing. Whenever the film switches gears, it feels somewhat jarring, and you may wonder where it’s all going. Fortunately, it is going somewhere, but it takes a while to get there—and by the time it does, you may have lost interest.
George Clooney is definitely a talented star—the kind who can make audiences instantly care about a character. But The Midnight Sky is simply too messy, too awkward, too familiar to be great. Don’t expect this one to be at the top of everyone’s must-watch lists over the holidays.
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