In 1947, a United States Army Air Forces balloon crashed at a ranch. At least, that’s what the official report stated. Whether or not there was a government cover-up about what actually occurred at Roswell, it led the way for a boom in science fiction books, comics, films and television. Andrew Patterson’s debut film The Vast of Night taps into the era of paranoia and fear of the threat from the vast space above our heads. Patterson seems to appreciate classic science fiction films and has a very distinct visual style. Remember the name Andrew Patterson, as he’s destined to become the next Gareth Edwards or J.J.Abrams.
The film is presented as an episode of the fictional TV series called “Paradox Theater TV Show,” its premise is similar to the original Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits. We are drawn into this world by a neat camera trick where the camera slowly zooms into the TV screen pulling us into the world being shown. We are introduced to a high school student called Fay (Sierra McCormick) and recent graduate Everett (Jake Horowitz), the late-night DJ at AM radio station WOTW in fictional Cayuga, New Mexico. This opening scene is presented to us in a wonderful tracking shot that follows our two main characters as they interact with other people at the high school. It is a scene that almost plays out as a homage to The Player, with all the main characters and the narrative being presented to us in one marvellous tracking shot that pulls the viewer into this world.
Aside from being a high school student, Fay works the night shift at the town’s telephone switchboard office, every night she makes sure to tune into Everett’s radio show. Tonight her routine is disrupted when she takes a call from an unidentified woman, who tells her that she believes there are three large objects hovering above her house before being cut off.
Meanwhile, radio signal keeps getting interrupted by a strange audio transmission that doesn’t exactly sound human. Fay picks up the same sound on one of the switchboard lines and patches it through to Everett, who puts it on air live, asking listeners to phone in if they recognize it. One mysterious man phones in with a strange story to tell, and then things begin to get even stranger.
The Vast of Night is a mash-up of classic 1950s sci-fi classics such as ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ or ‘War of the Worlds’, with the likes of ‘Super 8’ or perhaps ‘Stranger Things’. Although unlike those titles mentioned, The Vast of the Night doesn’t have any big names attached or vast CGI set pieces.
Still, it’s hard not to be awestruck by the sheer beauty of this film. This is a very slick, stylish looking film with a high looking production value despite having a small budget, showing what one can do with a limited budget. The narrative may have been told before, and the film may rely on long dialogue scenes rather than action sequences, but the steady build up of suspense as we slowly approach the finale will have you gripping your seat in sheer anticipation.
The film’s cinematography by the very talented Miguel Ioann Littin Menz, helps to create a chilling and unsettling atmosphere. The camera seems to be its own character, moving on its freewill as it follows Fay and Everett. In one breathtaking sequence we go on a phantom ride with the camera as we travel down the empty streets of this small town slowly gathering speed. This experience makes for a thrilling ride and this is perhaps one of the best and most effective uses of the camera that I have seen in an independent film so far this year.
Patterson prefers to focus on characters rather than big spectacle pieces, and granted while this may not be to everyone’s tastes, it’s an interesting take on a genre that seems to rely too heavily on special effects and CGI monsters to draw people in. In a lot of ways, The Vast of Night feels like an old serial that they used to have on the radio. So much so, that one can imagine Orson Welles narrating the story.
There are long scenes where all the characters do is talk, but their stories are worth listening to, especially as the mystery deepens. Patterson makes the bold decision to have the screen go black for a few moments during the film, so we have to focus on the words being spoken, it’s a very effective little trick.
The Vast of Night is a film that you should definitely seek out. It has a great aesthetic, a wonderfully haunting score, a compelling narrative and strong performances. If you’re a fan of science fiction then this is the film for you, and it is worth watching this film for it’s stunning cinematography alone. I guarantee that you will be looking up at the sky just in case after watching this film.
