• Intense

‘Midnight Mass’

Mike Flanagan is one of the most under-the-radar horror maestros of our time. Over the last decade and change, this prolific creator has helmed low budget triumphs (Hush, Oculus), well-received Stephen King adaptations (Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep), and beloved Netflix limited series (The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor). His latest effort, the 7-part limited series Midnight Mass, is a Flanagan original — he wrote and directed all 7 episodes — and it very well may be his best work yet. The story revolves around the residents of a small village in the Pacific Northwest, an isolated island community where no one ever really visits and no one really ever leaves. That is, with the exception of Riley (Zach Gilford), who fled for the big city as soon as he was old enough to, only to return a decade later after killing someone during a drunk driving escapade. When he returns to his family in an attempt to rebuild his life, he encounters an enigmatic new priest (Hamish Linklater) at the island’s Catholic church, someone whose strong presence seems to have a revitalizing effect on the community — both spiritually and physically. As you might expect from a Flanagan joint, though, something terrifying is hiding in the shadows (literally and metaphorically), just waiting for an opportune moment to reveal itself and change the residents of Crockett Island forevermore.