Midnight Mass

After he is released from prison, a man returns to his childhood home on a small fishing island. Along with him, a new priest arrives in the suffering community. Then, the miracles begin.

In the realm of Mike Flanagan (Haunting of Hill House) shows, this one is the least “jump scare” scary one. While there are some classic horror tropes in the show, it draws most of its terror from religion. Is it a tool of healing and acceptance, or a corrupting influence? Most characters in the show represent different answers to these central questions, and we get to see their points of view.

Some episodes are like plays rather than traditional television. One of my most vivid memories of this show is from a conversation that two central characters have about what happens after you die. The dialog is written beautifully, almost poetic and the circumstances under which they are discussing the topic adds another layer to it. This type of character drama is what this show is great at, and it creates these moments frequently.

Over its full runtime, the show slowly increases the heat bit by bit until the inevitable boiling point is reached. As is often the case with shows that know where they are going, there are no weak episodes here. On the contrary, some standout episodes deliver gut-wrenching moments that I think of regularly.