When Strange Noises are Heard, Two Friends Look to the Sky

Jake Horowitz and Sierra McCormick in "The Vast of Night"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

During its years on television, “The Twilight Zone” presented an amplitude of ambition in its provocative ideas from episode to episode.  With the amount of stories that they had to tell, the show made audiences question their lives and ponder the mysteries of the unknown, and the themes that were explored exhibited disturbing relevance to the time period in which the show aired.

Now, as a love letter to that show and the intelligence of its many stories, director Andrew Patterson makes his debut with the science-fiction film, “The Vast of Night.”  What he manages to bring us is a beautiful, chilling, and well-acted movie that presents a thrilling new visionary in sci-fi filmmaking.

In 1950s Cayuga, New Mexico, switchboard operator Fay (Sierra McCormick) hears a strange noise come through on the radio and switchboard.  Partnering with local radio DJ Everett (Jake Horowitz), the two young friends set out to investigate the origins of this mysterious sound.

The performances from McCormick and Horowitz seem so natural as they talk with an abundance of energy when they go through their dialogue, with McCormick talking excitedly about her interests, and Horowitz relishing in his retro-‘50s cool-kid dialect.  It doesn’t take you more than a second to become absorbed in their friendship, two teenagers who thrive on their big ideas and aspirations for something greater.  They come across as real people, and that genuineness absorbs you in their connection as they do what they can to help and protect each other as they venture deeper into the mystery at the heart of the movie.

Most of the film focuses on the interactions between McCormick and Horowitz’s characters, so there aren’t many supporting characters.  However, there’s a great supporting performance from Gail Cronauer, who plays an elderly resident of the town who may know something that could be of value to Fay and Everett’s research.  In one of the most haunting scenes of the film, Cronauer’s character goes into a monologue about her own strange encounters within the town when she was younger, and although this is her only scene, Cronauer manages to show the emotional toll that such an occurrence has had on her character in the decades since it happened.

The story may seem like your typical alien-visitation story, but the way in which James Montague and Craig W. Sanger’s screenplay is able to boil it down to their two main characters trying to solve the mystery of if they’re alone in the universe presents a heartfelt and rich view of a couple of friends who are passionate about the same things and use those interests to achieve possible communication with extraterrestrials.  The movie spends much of the first half hour allowing us to get to know the characters, with Fay and Everett having extended discussions about their interests.  Afterwards, there’s plenty of time in the second and third acts to bring us deep into the sci-fi mystery that Fay and Everett are trying to solve.

The narrative is framed like an episode of “The Twilight Zone.”  But, in the film, it’s a “Twilight Zone”-style show called “Paradox Theater.”  We have the film begin as the camera zooms in on a ‘50s-style television set as the opening credits to this TV show play out, and then, on occasion, the movie transitions to the image being shaped as if it’s playing on a curved ‘50s television screen.  This is a neat homage to the television era of “The Twilight Zone,” but doesn’t become intrusive with what’s happening within the story and doesn’t outstay its welcome.  It’s merely an eye-catching technical touch that shows Patterson’s love for Rod Serling’s iconic creation, and it helps to immerse you in the atmosphere of the story.

A lot of where Patterson shows his drive as an up-and-coming filmmaker is through his collaboration with cinematographer M.I. Littin-Menz.  There are several long takes, whether they be tracking shots or long takes with minimal movement, and with the movie taking place over the course of a night, this allows us to feel the passage of time.  One of the most memorable of these long takes is a sequence that goes from Fay’s workplace across town to the local high school where the whole town has gathered for a basketball game, and then going to Everett’s radio station.  While you can spot the trickery of accomplishing this shot, it’s an innovative one nonetheless that more than presents Patterson’s assurance as a filmmaker on the rise.

The long takes that involve a mostly stationary camera are just as memorable.  Such sequences include Cronauer’s character explaining her own extraterrestrial encounter and a nearly 10-minute shot with Fay working the switchboard and hearing the otherworldly noises.  In these sequences, we have a buildup of tension that keeps you enthralled with what you’re learning as the plot moves forward, and also allows you to become more acquainted with the characters on which the camera is focusing.

Patterson has a masterful handle on establishing the unsettling mood of the film and sustaining it throughout.  He creates a tone of wonderment that slowly builds its way into something more eerie, ensuring that there isn’t a minute where you’re not caught up in the thrill of going on this journey with Fay and Everett.  There’s an inventiveness to the way in which he approaches familiar material that helps make this a stunning emergence for Patterson as a director.  It’s clear that he loves science-fiction, and you sit there after the movie hoping that Patterson will revisit the genre soon, and with “The Vast of Night,” he shows that he has as many artistic possibilities as there are stars in the sky.

Grade: A-