The Vast of Night Review: A Fantastic Sci-fi Tale on a Smaller Scale
Science fiction on a smaller scale holds a special place in my heart, as it can intimately capture the human spirit and the wonder of discovery without losing itself inside spectacle. The Vast of Night, a festival favorite that arrives on Amazon Prime Video, takes that spirit of discovery and turns it into a wonderful celebration of technology.
The film follows Fay (Sierra McCormick), a young woman who works at the town switchboard and Everett (Jake Horowitz), who works as the local radio DJ, as they face strange noises and power discrepancies as the town gathers for the big basketball game at the school.
Their night grows stranger as they decide to reach out to the townspeople for help and try to get to the bottom of the oddities inflicting their home.
Something that quickly becomes apparent is the film’s admiration of technology. It’s in the dialogue as Fay and Everett walk together (a wonderful discussion of future tech that isn’t so future for us), and it’s in the use of tape recorders and switchboards and the radio station.
The power of technology looms large as it’s used as a means of procuring interview records and try to get to the bottom of the source of the strange noise interfering with the town.
The Vast of Night would not work without great characters, and here, they shine through their quick-witted and snappy dialogue and their earnest performances from lead stars Jake Horowitz and Sierra McCormick, where their interest into the mystery and their quibbling adds so much personality alongside their curiosity.
Sierra McCormick and Jake Horowitz are great as Fay and Everett, capturing the 1950’s aesthetic along with the peppy enthusiasm that comes from science and technology fans finding a calling in solving this unidentified over-the-air sound.
Horowitz plays Everett with this fun, outgoing personality where everyone is a friend of his while McCormick is more reserved and analytical with her performance. When paired, they connect perfectly, where their mutual respect for each other does wonders for the film. Even when they’re bickering, it’s friendly and only makes them more endearing.
There are moments of exhilaration that come in its filmmaking, through its use of sound and through using its smaller scale to still feel like a vibrant, bustling town creeping into night.
Everyone may be at the big game, but the few who are not, and the check-ins at the game, help to build a personality to the town of Cayuga, New Mexico, where it’s instantly recognizable who these townspeople are and how some view this small, out-of-the-way town.
Director Andrew Patterson is able to draw us in with his clever use of the smaller scope by tightening in on character’s faces when their expressions are the details, and pulls back and makes inventive choices when it comes time to show more.
One of its most effective moments is a long tracking shot that careens from location to location throughout the small town, the camera like a great roaming eye searching the town while its great score creates a sense of foreboding.
The film is like a cross between a radio show and an episode of The Twilight Zone (which is fitting, as it’s framed as an episode of a similarly focused show called Paradox Theater); the radio show comes in during the storytelling of those who have heard similar noises. While these moments are essentially exposition, the film is drawing you into their stories, the fear they have faced while the camera holds onto a character, where their performance further draws you in.
The Vast of Night is a wonderful science fiction film that uses its small scale to its advantage. It never loses its sense of fun even when floating on its darker edges, and for a first feature from Andrew Patterson, it’s an astounding achievement that is likely the jumping off point to a great career.
The characters lift off the screen and are such a joy to watch and follow, and when combined with the smart filmmaking, The Vast of Night becomes a real winner that is a must-watch for sci-fi fans.
Are you planning to watch The Vast of Night? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Vast of Night premieres Friday, May 29 on Amazon Prime Video.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.