A scenario Carle Place residents are vastly familiar with: a small town where everybody knows everybody. Midnight Mass takes place on Crockett Island, an isolated fishing island miles away from the mainland. The only way residents can get to the mainland is by ferry, which only runs at certain times of the day. The whole show basically took place on the small island.

The main building that the story unfolds in is at St. Patrick’s Church, which is temporarily run by Father Paul, as Monsignor Pruitt, the original preacher, is sick on the mainland. With Father Paul’s arrival, many strange things occur, yet no one can seem to say why they are occurring. The strange things, in the beginning, seemed very strange to me, but just wait until you watch more episodes…it somehow got even stranger.

I would rate this show 5 stars, as Mike Flanagan, the creator, and director of this Netflix hit does a great job in many aspects. Firstly, the characters all have great, well-developed backstories. From Riley, who recently got released from prison due to killing a young girl while drunk driving, or Leeza, a girl who is paralyzed from the waist down, or Sheriff Hassan, who faced discrimination in his old precinct, and is facing discrimination now on this island. Mike Flanagan also does a great job at having a slow burn.

SPOILERS AHEAD

As I mentioned before, I thought the “strange things” at the beginning of the show, with Father Paul’s arrival, were strange. This includes when tons of dead cats washed up on the shores of Crockett Island, yet this show only got stranger. It is a slow-burn, as it really started to get intense around Episode V, yet it is definitely worth the wait. 

Although the big plot twist seemed a little predictable to me (with the two alter boys Ooker and Warren finding Father Paul doing something odd to the wine.. I just knew he was putting his blood in there), and also the long sermons from Father Paul (albeit, sometimes they were important to the storyline), the overall ending and twists were really crazy and well put together. It seems Mike Flanagan really thought of every angle, and basically every shot of the show seemed so meaningful.

I must give kudos to Mike Flanagan for taking a subject I am not all well too interested in (religion) and expertly crafting a story that even after watching, I am immersed in.

The actors also did a fantastic job. Mike Flanagan, a well-renowned director/writer of the horror genre, consistently casts the same actors, yet they all do an amazing job every time. Kate Siegal, the star of Mike Flanagan’s works, definitely did not disappoint. You know Samantha Sloyan did a great job when her character Bev Keane still makes me angry, even weeks after watching. Hamish Linklater, or Father Paul, perfectly delivered his role as the epicenter of Midnight Mass and the voice and weight of the Church. He has a softness to him, yet delivered a very moving performance. As I mentioned before, despite being known for his horror genres, Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass showcases a different kind of horror. This show still has its gore and one jumpscare, yet the real horror comes from the everyday residents of Crockett Island.

SPOILERS END

Midnight Mass does a great job of showing the good and the bad of church. Despite the obvious bad of the ending, it shows how some people (such as Bev, the Mayor, etc.) rely too heavily on their faith. There are clear distinctions between characters who are heavily devoted to Christ and characters who just go to church, a prime example being Erin Greene and Bev Keane. This draws parallels to the world, as there are extremists who take things too far and put a bad name and reputation to the faith as a whole, despite the good. The good of the church is the community (yet, at St. Patrick’s Church, the lines between community and cult seem not so distinct…). There is always a community for the people to fall back on, but this is potentially bad when church members ostracize those who are not churchgoers, such as Sheriff Hassan, who is Muslim. 

My favorite character is Sheriff Hassan. He is the character that greatly shows this community’s response to religion, as Sheriff Hassan and his son, Ali, are alienated for their Muslim faith. 

SPOILERS AHEAD

His backstory, when revealed, was like a punch in the gut. He left his old precinct due to the systemic racism and corruption, only to find it here on this small island. When he told Bev Keane that God doesn’t love her any more than God loves him, I thought that was such an impactful line. Rahul Kohli, the actor of Hassan, absolutely filled his role and more.