As the 1950’s draw to a close, a small town in New Mexico is gathered at their local high school basketball game, the big event for the week. Local radio DJ Everett (Jake Horowitz) is mixing with his friends before going to his job when he runs into local switchboard operator Fay (Sierra McCormick) who has just bought a new tape recorder. They mess around together, walking through the crowd in the twilight parking lot, taping fake interviews and having fun. It is quite obvious that young Fay is smitten with Everett, and he likes her although he tries to hide it in his cynicism and local celebrity. Not much later, both young people ensconced in their jobs, the near-entirety of the town attending the basketball game, Fay comes across a strange sound on her switchboard. She calls over to the radio station and plays it for Everett, who immediately puts it on the air, asking if anyone has a clue as to what it could be. They get a phone call from a retired soldier who tells them a strange story and pretty soon, the two are swept up into a mystery that involves kidnapped children and UFO’s. Was that strange series of noises a communication from an alien race? Everett and Fay are determined to find out, and their pursuit of the truth leads them into many strange and paranoid corners.
The Vast of Night is an odd bird, a movie that plays bigger than its budget. It relies mostly on the characters to drive the story, their dialogue and interactions with one another. There are two long monologues that carry the heft of the mystery and the high strangeness that is going on, so it’s very important that the actors sell the reality, and they all do, in spades. Particularly terrific are the leads, McCormick and Horowitz. They have a sparkling, tangible chemistry between them. You can feel the young love growing, both of them in denial and yet both irrevocably drawn to one another. It’s there in the dialogue and most importantly, in the body language. Their youthful curiosity carries the film. There are also a few cool nods to the TV of yore, with the delicious mimicking of The Twilight Zone and the interspersed, fuzzy black and white segments. At times this feels like a lost film from the 50s. The mystery itself is compelling and fun, although nothing really new if you follow UFO stories and legends. The movie captures the essence of that time and place, when the universe still felt open and mysterious, when America was growing into the Empire it would become, when small towns were still isolated and lonely, and where two young people still had the freedom to act like they were in a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mystery. The innocence is tangible, even as the corruption of the hidden truth is bubbling under the surface.
If you go into this expecting a mystery and some really great characters, you’ll have a really good time. If you want big, epic UFO stuff, you’re going to be disappointed. This is a small movie, despite its big feel, one more concerned with heart and soul than big-budget effects and wowing the audience. They take an intimate approach to the UFO mystery and I think it pays off. The Vast of Night is fun and endearing and a lovely slice of modern cinema.
★★★☆