After reading an article about it, "Vast of Night" became one of my most anticipated movies of quasi-quarantine. When it was delayed a couple of times on Amazon Prime, my excitement to finally view it only grew.
The movie used a "Goonies" quality early on to build excitement and pacing. Director Andrew Patterson did a strong job of world building, bringing in a racial element and creating a viable setting for late-1950s America. Reportedly (and not surprisingly), the script also contains homages to "War of the Worlds" and H.G. Wells.
The two main characters -- a telephone operator and a DJ -- quickly move from an excited interest in quirky events to a frantic curiosity. Overall, the movie progresses methodically from Norman Rockwell and apple pie to alien invasions and eerie terror.
While I liked the movie, I couldn't help shaking the feeling that a lot of meat was left on the bone. I would have liked to have known a little more about the relationship between Fay and Everett and their respective back stories. The flick also ended rather abruptly, and while I'm not averse to climaxes that don't answer all the questions, I felt this one was a bit too jarring.
All told, I felt a bit more time in the incubator could have turned this one from an almost-was into a legitimate sci-fi groundbreaker.
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