What a brilliant little film. Hijacked by a huge delay in release (one year and a half since its premier in January 2019) and possibly Covid-19, The Vast of Night never got the attention it deserved. A shame, really, because the film stays with you. A month has passed since I finally saw it, and I am still gripped by its style. Its thick-rimmed glasses, its late night radio vibe and the breakneck speed of its dialogues. Speaking of the latter, do not freak out when you watch this film in the original. Because those conversations will seem overwhelming, even if English is your native language. The first thirty minutes of this film are insane, and you will either be stunned by the pace or the verbal expressions which have long become obsolete. But that is part of the charm. So do not freak out. Do not 'cramp the cool'.
The Vast of Night is a sci-fi story loosely based on what may or may not have taken place in Pennsylvania in mid-60s. It is a story of a mysterious UFO incident in an excitable small American town and how it stirred some lives while some watched a high school basketball game and did not even notice. Everett, a disc jockey at a local radio station, and Fay, a switchboard operator, fool around with a tape recorder at the start of the film and get involved into a disturbing UFO investigation by its end. While it would be easy to write the whole thing off as quirky sci-fi, the film could also be viewed as a clever rumination on a small town and the desire to get out (less John Mellencamp, more Lou Reed).
What impressed me the most (other than those dialogues, of course) was the assured style of Andrew Patterson's filmmaking. For a debut, the cinematography and the direction are simply stunning. The simplicity of the plot and the minimalism of the decorations only highlight the quiet power bubbling underneath The Vast of Night. Besides, and most importantly, it takes guts and a great deal of style to make that interview with an elderly woman work. She tells Everett and Fay about aliens and bizarre abductions, and God knows this should make you roll your eyes and sigh. What, another small town believer in batshit conspiracy theories? But... it is a powerful scene, and you almost want to scold Everett for his mistrustful attitude. Truly, I can't think of many better ways to spend ninety minutes of your life. A future cult classic in the making.
