The Midnight Sky

For me, unfortunately, one of the most boring big movies in recent years. I don’t know why someone smart like Clooney would want to waste time adapting such a weak plot, and I really can’t see why anyone should justify his efforts. The story could have been packed into 30 minutes without any harm being done – there weren’t even as many nice images as I expected. Emotions and psychology at freezing point, enough said. (12/27/2020)

An attempt at intellectual sci-fi, where not much is said, time and life are lightly philosophised about, and the survival at the North Pole, or rather outside a space rocket, is relatively intense. At times pleasantly ambient and pensive, visually impressive, but script-wise mediocre and largely uninteresting science fiction, which not even Clooney can save. In the style of a brooding Solaris or Ad Astra. (12/26/2020)

The ending has heart, but everything that comes before it is unfortunately thin on plot and slightly naïve in its expectation that it would in any way appeal to viewers. Of the two thrilling scenes, one rips off Gravity and the other is hackneyed, like almost everything else in the film. The only things that stand out are the interesting concept of blood from weightless space and the interior design of the ship, as if it were a futuristic designer’s luxury apartment. Exactly between two and three stars. (01/03/2021)

In what way are (especially American) Christmas films distinguished? A major role in such films is played by a guy with a thick white beard who lives in the North Pole, diverse characters often come home from somewhere, it snows, and the main idea is not infrequently that the family should be together. So, The Midnight Sky is simply a Christmas film :) But now more seriously: It's a great film. And that it's not for everyone? All the better. In the riveting earthly part, George Clooney is the absolute king, in that space storyline, rather than on tension, he is focused on seemingly carefree enchantment by space, on the sweet ignorance that the film conveys to us perfectly. Yes, at first glance nothing important will happen in space, and for example, the long repair of the ship is a scene that we have all seen several of, but imagine that you are a viewer who hasn’t seen Gravity... Then that scene is simply a cosmic symphony with beautiful shots and amazing music by Alexandre Desplat. (12/24/2020)

I like George Clooney, he's got undeniable charisma. But here, he really put in the effort on a painfully dull drama, despite the original concept. The execution, though, was so slow that I struggled to get through it—unlike my cat, who was happily perched on the stool, mesmerized by the beautiful shots of space and the Arctic. Honestly, those visuals and Clooney himself were the only redeeming parts of the movie. (12/30/2020)