‘The Vast of Night’ plays homage to classic sci-fi

Posted on June 5, 2020

By MARK VIOLA

It’s been a while since the last time I was able to use the analogy of a film being like a science-fiction short story. That’s because it’s been a while since I saw a film worthy of the comparison.

One that comes to mind is “Safety Not Guaranteed,” but it’s been eight years since that low-budget film — directed by Colin Trevarrow before he hit it big with “Jurassic World” — first arrived in theaters in the middle of summer blockbuster season. This summer, we’ve been without those blockbuster behemoths, as well as the hidden gems like “Safety Not Guaranteed.”

Just last week in my review of “Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance,” I lamented the lack of truly good movies to watch over the previous few weeks in this streaming-only world. Fortunately, it only took a few days after writing those words for them to be proven out-of-date.

That’s because I saw the new film, “The Vast of Night,” on Amazon Prime. Like “Safety Not Guaranteed,” it is from a first-time director (Andrew Patterson) and first-time writers (James Montague and Craig W. Sanger). Also like that film, it feels like the cinematic equivalent of a great science-fiction short story.

Despite having newcomers behind the camera and no one really recognizable in front of it, “The Vast of Night” is an exceptionally well-made movie that also boasts interesting characters and a story that is filled with mystery and tension.

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