There are a lot of films that come out every once in a while that push the imagination and make you ponder its purpose and plot constantly. Some can be enjoyable wonders while others can anger you for not fully explaining their purpose. Midnight Special at times is a mixture of both. Some people are going to appreciate its wonders and some people are going to hate the lack of its plot pay off. I was one who quite enjoyed it for being a thinker of a film. I yearned for the days of Amblin like movies where the mystery unfolds. Where you watch original films without preconceived notions of what it should be. JJ Abrams does this a lot with his films, but this is a whole other beast entirely as it reminded me of a combination of E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind with a very strange ending that I couldn't put my finger on, it was a beautiful ending but seemed open ended. 
What I enjoyed most about the film was going in completely cold to the plot and the reason of the film and I highly suggest you do the same. What I can give is a simple synopsis. Alton Meyers is a very special boy with special gifts. His father Roy and Roy's friend Lucas decide to take him away from the cult like community that has been built around Alton and his gifts. Because of some extremes the cult has been using and going through, they have garnered attention from the government who then learns of Alton's gifts. It is a race for Roy, Lucas and Alton's mother, Sarah to get Alton to special coordinates that Alton knows of while the government, the cult and police are gunning for them.
The film itself is mostly a family drama as this poor family is being torn apart not only by the world but by Alton's abilities which the parents are desperately trying to comprehend. This makes for a slow movie but it is so well written that you become encapsulated by this family and their plight. Not to mention the progress of Alton's abilities and the subtle hints at what they do and why. This amplifies the action scenes because they come out of the least expected places at times, as you are so settled for the drama and honed in on the dialogue that when the action comes it at times can make you jump. 
The characters in here are superbly acted. Joel Edgerton plays the part of Lucas, Roy's friend who will stop at nothing to help his friend and friend's son. Edgerton has done a ton of films but the first time I had seen him was when he portrayed the younger version of Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen in the Star Wars Prequels. Then again I saw him in the remake/prequel to John Carpenter's The Thing. Definitely not film roles I would look to for excellence in acting but he was never bad in them just presented with lesser material. In Midnight Special he is stone cold with heart. He is very quiet and gruff trying to get the job done but also can have compassion and even helps Alton with morality as he gives him Superman comics which I felt helped push Alton in the right direction in learning who he is. Edgerton also gets the only funny lines in the movie which he delivers perfectly dead pan. 
We then have Michael Shannon who portrayed General Zod in Man of Steel, as Alton's father Roy. A man of very little words in the film, conveying most of his emotions through his face. As much as I loved this aspect, of him in constant turmoil and thought, I will admit at times his grim demeanor and the looming camera shots of his face did get a little old but it was effective. You could feel the fear for his son and this was a man whose fatherly love would conquer all. Kirsten Dunst gives much the same performance as Alton's mother, but has more of a speaking role, voicing the concerns of Roy's face openly. She is more prepared for the worst than Roy it seems and Dunst brings in a stellar performance, southern accent and all. Jaeden Lieberher I have loved as an actor since his performance as the kid in Bill Murray's St. Vincent. He plays Alton our Midnight Special. He wears goggles and ear muffs to dampen his powers and sits quietly reading his comics as the action takes place around him. It is not directly inferred but I believe his readings of the heroics in the comics are what ultimately helps him embrace his powers and become who he is by the end if the film. His progression from sad scared child to a young boy understanding his purpose and power is executed very well thanks to the performance. These three actors and their interactions together are the heart and soul of this film and by the end it's either going to leave you completely satisfied or somewhat depressed. 
That's the thing is the film is a bit depressing by the end. You can take it that way or not depending on if you feel something extraordinary was accomplished. It took me sometime to wrap my head around it and appreciate it for what it is. Some people are going to completely hate it and some people might appreciate it. It's biggest flaw is also its biggest accomplishment. It leaves a lot unanswered. You partly feel cheated as if there should be more movie or explanation, but at the same time if you pay careful attention to the movie there are so many points that the main characters don't understand and they even admit at times that they probably aren't supposed to understand it. They have experienced something indescribable, something that you just feel. Maybe that's a bit much to ask a movie goer in this day and age, but if you can put the cynicism aside and look at it as a fun miracle like the other characters do I believe it can be an enjoyable film. Director Jeff Nichols has mostly done dramas and with the possible exception of his partially biblical film, Take Shelter, this is his first science fiction film and his directing skills for emotional drama really come through to amplify the film. I very much say it's a fun one time watch. I give it Four out of Five Superman comics!
