The Vast of Night

Interesting sci-fi that reminded me of Pontypool. The Vast of Night is pure and refined, but also very low-key and subdued. A film that thrives on atmosphere, yet it's afraid to leave the audience wanting. That's a tricky combination and director Andrew Patterson manages to pull it out, but not without a hitch or two.

Something weird is going on in '50s New Mexico. On a cool summer night, with half the town cheering for a local basketball game, a telephone station starts receiving weird calls and signals. Is it aliens, or are the town folk just freaking themselves out over nothing? You'll just have to watch the film to find out.

Because we're following a radio host and telephone operator, most of the information we're getting is second hand. It's a pretty cheap solution when you want to skimp on special effects, but it's also a great way to build up tension. There are some very moody scenes here, personally I think Patterson could've gone even further with it, but it makes for a fun and entertaining sci-fi flick.