The Vast of Night (201)

I'm always on the look out for new filmmakers. For new visionaries. There is nothing quite like watching a new director (new to you, anyway) swing for the fences in a first film. There's something fun in watching a freshman effort and trying to figure out what kind of calling card it will be for the director's future work.

And there's always the satisfaction of saying, years later, that, yeah, I was a fan from the beginning.

I think Andrew Patterson is a voice to watch. And his feature, The Vast of Night (2019) is a compelling calling card indeed.

I. What Is It?

This is the story of Fay (Sierra McCormack) and Everett (Jake Horowitz), two teens in a quiet 1950s New Mexico town. One night, while everyone else in town is at the highschool basketball game, the kids hear a mysterious sound come through the airwaves, and they decide to investigate.

II. Gorgeously Realized

This film is beautifully shot, and wonderfully designed. There are intricately choreographed oner tracking shots that traverse the whole town, and slow pushes that expertly ratchet up tension, and gorgeously framed shots that could live framed on your wall as art. M.I. Litten-Menz' photography is jaw-dropping, and lends the film an epic sense that belies its humble indie roots.

The sound design, also, is integral to the story. This is a story about a radio DJ and a switchboard operator. From little design tics in the soundscape to the ominous signal that Fay and Everett intercept, to the film's haunting score from Eric Alexander and Jared Bulmer, what you are hearing is just as important as what you are seeing. There are even points in the film where Patterson cuts out visuals entirely, and lets you LISTEN to what is happening over a black screen. It is a surprisingly effective, if simple, trick that helps to drag you into this film's world.

And that is to say nothing of the film's art direction and design. I am always a fan of a good period piece, and, somehow, this charming little indie film managed to construct a perfectly believable '50s smalltown. The costumes are lush: Fay's cat eye glasses are particularly glorious. Then there's the period-specific audio equipment, and the quaint little single-room radio station. The world of this film is exquisitely detailed and marvelously realized.

III. Excellent Performances

Sierra McCormack and Jake Horowitz anchor this film with two committed and nuanced performances. From their introduction, when we watch Everett walk Fay to the switchboard, where they chatter almost incessantly, to their quiet trek through the woods at the film's denouement, we get the feeling that both characters are living breathing people. McCormack and Horowitz are pros who know how to make the erstwhile boring act of watching someone listen to headphones an engaging and tension-building affair. And, for what it's worth, they both look like they know what they are doing: McCormick works that switchboard like an old hand, and there is a kind of quiet swagger to everything that Horowitz' Everett does.

I would very much like to see these actors get more work. Please.

IV. Fun Script

The script plays like an extended episode of The Twilight Zone. It is perfectly timed at 89 minutes, and features some excellent dialogue, stuffed-to-the-gills with 50s slang and wonderful little character touches. James Montague and Craig W. Sanger's script knows its limitations, but allows those to serve its needs. Don't have money for many fancy effects? Keep everything hidden, and allow that to ratchet up the tension. Trust your actors to ground the audience, and lead them on an emotional journey.

One thing I appreciated a lot is that the film allows its characters to talk. We experience a lot of this story through the words of the people that inhabit it. In particular, in monologues from Billy, a black man who has a creepy tale to tell about an old military experiment, and Mabel, a woman who has heard that ominous sound before, many years ago. The script lets them tell their stories, and Patterson refrains from the use of flashbacks. This is a story about listening, after all, and these people deserve to be listened to. The camera slowly pushes in on Mabel, and, in Billy's case on Everett as he listens over the airwaves. There is wisdom in showing and not telling. But, in a story like this, allowing the people to tell their own stories and relying on the performances of the talent is a bold move. And I liked it.

Why You Should See It

- It is a stylish and well-executed little sci-fi yarn.
- It is the opening salvo from a filmmaker to watch, and features fine performances from its young leads.
- It's only 89 minutes, and rated PG-13, which means you could, conceivably, watch it with the entire family. 
- Beautiful 50s period piece.

Why You Shouldn't See It

- Nah. Just check it out.

In Conclusion

Turn this one on at night with a bucket of popcorn. It has a classic genre feel with a modern aesthetic and charm to spare. I cannot wait to see where this filmmaker goes next. And, with a calling card like The Vast of Night, I can't imagine we'll have to wait too long for a sophomore project.

Miscellany

- The film was shot in 17 days in 2016. It was rejected by just about every film festival of note, before being snatched up by Amazon Studios.
- It was shot on location in a little town in Texas.
- The production sanded down and repainted gym's floor to remove three-point lines and make the court look more period specific. The production also utilized empty locker rooms to construct other sets and sound stages.
- The radio station's call sign, WOTW, is a reference to War of the Worlds.
- Amazon released the film on its streaming service, but also to Drive-In theaters on May 29, 2020.