The Vast of Night (2020)

[Mobbd]

I fucking loved this film. A slow, ponderous, atmospheric quasi-sci-fi movie. Well, okay, it's a sci-fi movie but that's sort of besides the point.

Unfortunately, the only way to watch it without a peg leg and a parrot on your shoulder is Prime. But anyway, I really enjoyed and would like to recommend it.

The 1950s verisimilitude is good but it doesn't take over the whole show like the 1980s does with Stranger Things and to a lesser extent with It Follows.

The characters are deeply likable in my opinion.

But the main thing is just the haunting summer nights atmosphere.

It's a testament to what can be done with a low budget that makes me want to compare it to Primer but, as much as I find Primer impressive, Vast of Night is more naturally enjoyable and not too willfully smart-arse.

Anyway, I loved it. Curious to know if anyone else here did.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWYAoxoQkA4

I would also like to talk to someone about the music, composed (I think) by the director.

This is from an album my partner bought by a band called Timbre Timbre: https://youtu.be/FwXprOMN-I0?t=71

And this is from the final scene of Vast of Night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2WeM7x4DdE

Not saying anyone stole anything, but they're the fucking same, right? Something must have been sampled?

WARNING: the link to the final scene contains the biggest spoiler imaginable so watch the film first if you intend to.

[notjosh]

Took me a minute to find the old thread as it was incorrectly titled:
https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=80691.0

But yeah, I hadn't thought about it since then and remembered really liking the setting and atmosphere. It's the kind of thing that I probably wouldn't watch again at home, but if I get a chance to see it at a cinema someday I will, as it's a film that I think would benefit from even greater immersion.

[ProvanFan]

I enjoyed the switchboard skills and the long phone-in conversation.

[Jack Shaftoe]

Nearly gave up on it about ten minutes in because it felt like matey would never shut up, but I stuck with it and man, one of the best SF films I've ever.... seen? Experienced? More 'heard' really. But yes, fantastic thing, whatever it is.

[Mobbd]

Took me a minute to find the old thread as it was incorrectly titled:
https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=80691.0

Aha! Thank you. I searched but did not find and this explains why.

Some real shit takes in that thread. Quite astonishing ones, actually. Not just that they didn't like it but didn't even give it a chance.

[notjosh]

Yeah, it's a shame that some people didn't persevere past the opening. I found it a bit of a struggle at first, but in retrospect I think it's crucial to the success of the film that there's no corny set-up dialogue or unnatural exposition. It really does feel like you've been dropped in a random town in America in the late 1950s where you don't know any of the people or their reference points and it's up to you to catch up. And by the time you've done that you're totally immersed in the period and the setting. I mentioned American Graffiti in the old thread, which is another film which I think does this very well, though is probably a bit more accessible.

[mothman]

I think I enjoyed it. I didn't really know how I felt about it! I'm glad I watched it, and probably need to watch it again...

[Mobbd]

I think I enjoyed it. I didn't really know how I felt about it! I'm glad I watched it, and probably need to watch it again...

Try it again! I watched and enjoyed it twice.

[TrenterPercenter]

On the list looks good havent got round to watching it yet.

[Hex Triplet]

I saw this a quite a while ago but remember really really liking it. It's very slow and dialogue heavy (both pluses in my book) and if you go in expecting a sci fi / alien film you'll probably be hugely disappointed. Gorgeous immersive setting, an amazing long continuous tracking shot, believable characters talking i like teenagers in the 1950s probably did. Would watch again on the biggest screen I could source.

Also, I don't remember the first fifteen minutes being a chore to get through (which a lot of people in that other thread were saying), maybe just getting used to the accents/slang or way of speaking.

[greenman]

The Twilight Zone style opening I'd imagine has a lot people expecting something a bit less sublte.

[Dr Rock]

I thought it was dead good.

[PlanktonSideburns]

Yea really liked this, was strange and romantic and gloomy, very lonely film