There's a delicious eeriness to Andrew Patterson's feature debut, The Vast of Night (2019). The story is crafted from familiar elements of science fiction, but they are presented in a manner that injects the film with an urgent sense of immediacy. Although it's technically a period film that takes place in the 1950s, we're drawn into it as if it's happening right now.
The story begins in the fictional town of Cayuga, New Mexico, as local radio disc jockey Everett Sloan (Jake Horowitz) assists with preparations for a high school basketball game. His switchboard operator friend Fay Crocker (Sierra McCormick) finds him there, asks for his help with her new tape recorder, and the two set off together across town as they head to their jobs. On the way, so Fay can learn to use her recorder, the two keep up a continual patter laced with all kinds of amusing period slang. (My favorites are "Razz my berries" and "I don't know a frog's ribbit about those things.") It's already dark outside, and the town is strangely quiet since everyone is at the school game.
As Fay takes her place at the switchboard, she listens to Everett's show on the radio, which is briefly interrupted by some kind of strange noise. Then a woman, nearly frantic, calls and says there's a large object hovering over her property. Fay contacts Everett, and he plays the strange noise over the air and invites people to call in if they can identify it. A man named Billy (Bruce Davis) calls in and tells an intriguing story involving the audio signal which I will not spoil here. He reveals that he sent copies of a recording of the signal to people he worked with on a secret military operation, including someone in Cayuga.
While Fay and Everett track down the recording, various people call the switchboard with reports of "something in the sky." They meet a couple named Gerald and Bertsie who are trying to track down the same object. And then an elderly woman named Mabel Blanche (Gail Cronauer) calls and invites Everett and Fay to her home where, she claims, she can explain what is happening on the outskirts of town. And I'm going to leave the plot right there.
Roger Ebert used to say, "It's not what a movie is about, but how it's about it." The Vast of Night is proof of that theory. All kinds of elements of this story could have been presented in a standard, clichéd manner, yet Patterson subverts our expectations at every turn. Some period films linger a little too lovingly on the trappings of the time; this one just gets on with it. It's an interesting choice of the filmmakers to set the story in the '50s, when fears of communism were regularly transmuted into science fiction stories.
Another intriguing facet is how the movie is framed as a story within the "Paradox Theatre" television program. At various intervals throughout the film the color drains from the image and the actual visual frame and audio change to look like and sound like a vintage television broadcast. Although these things could hold the audience at arm's length, it's astounding how bewitched we become over the course of the film.
The acting throughout is top-notch, featuring a rare naturalism. Bruce Davis and Gail Cronauer are able to invest their characters with utter believability, and the two leads keep the entire story from descending into melodrama. Horowitz is the nerdy-cool king of charisma, effortlessly holding our attention even when all he's doing is listening. And McCormick proves to be the equal of any actor in a ten-minute scene at the switchboard where she begins to clock the growing alarm of the people calling about what's happening on the edge of town; the scene sounds boring on paper but is so expertly written and timed that it's spellbinding. It's also fun to see that neither Everett nor Fay are written to be likable by default. They can get on each other's nerves, which makes them seem even more realistic.
Everyone who has seen the film talks about the same tracking shot that occurs around the midpoint. You’ll know the one. It’s a technical marvel and proof that talent and ability can overcome budgetary restraints. Online explanations and interpretations only add to the accomplishment of the filmmakers and increase the mystery of the story.
It’s a bit surprising how quiet this movie is for (seemingly) long stretches of time. We spend a lot of time listening to people relate things they’ve witnessed and experienced. And the lead characters spend that time listening right along with us. I know that doesn’t sound very exciting, but it gives the characters and the audience time to consider the implications at the same pace, drawing us further into the intrigue. As the characters grow alarmed, so do we, with tension that steadily increases until our hearts are nearly pounding before we reach the final scene.
Everything leads to a shot that is stunning in its simplicity, unexpectedly hushed, and deceptive in its impact. The realization of what we’re seeing hits us a beat after it dawns on the characters. In my mind, there’s no question how the film ends, yet it’s easy to see how multiple theories could spawn from the final moments. We’re left to ponder all that has happened and consider the stories that have been told and the experiences that have been shared.
The first time I saw The Vast of Night, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Critics raved about it, but is it a masterpiece? I dunno. Maybe. As the days went by, though, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. This one lingers in the mind, almost making you question whether you saw the images in a movie, or if you experienced them in some sort of dream or forgotten memory. The real impact is when you catch yourself still thinking about the movie days and weeks later. And if you’re like me, you’ll want to watch it again.