Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: MIDNIGHT [Fantasia Film Festival 2021 - Virtual]

The aspect of genre structure sometimes resounds in the senses depending what the approach is. At SxSW last spring, "Sound Of Violence" showed a deaf woman as a psychopath and how that interrelated to her life and approach. In "Midnight" it is more a straight forward cat-and-mouse thriller with the psychopath tracking a deaf girl who escapes from his clutches and the melee that ensues. The most interesting parts are using the lack of communication because of the hearing and speech barrier while the killer literally lurks among our protagonist either where she can't communicate or he can switch around the narrative. It works because the actor playing the killer can literally switch on and off (though it is almost too over-the-top most of the time). The strategy of the film itself is a little awkward and happenstance.

Two sequences: one in a police station and the other inside the girl's house really understand how to build the scene (and, of course, reference "The Shining"). A lot of the rest of the film is running around the city which is fine but doesn't add any originality to the proceedings. the sound design is alright and melds between silence and street sounds but is nothing game changing. While the film does use its concept effectively and keeps to the sheer basis of human cruelty versus supernatural, it, at times, feels oddly amateurish. Lead Keyong-Mi is the best of all especially her plea to the killer at one point in a busy street. It is heartfelt and heartbreaking in explaining how and why she wants to live and the filmmakers are smart to leave the whole scene on her face but not too close. The resolution is expected but smart in many ways. "Midnight" is a simple thriller with a one-dimensional villain despite his strategy but the vulnerability and dexterity of its lead makes it stand a little bit above the rest. B-

By Tim Wassberg