his eyes briefly and faintly glowing in a similar manner to Alton's. Cast Michael Shannon as Roy Tomlin Joel Edgerton as Lucas Kirsten Dunst as Sarah Tomlin Adam Driver as Paul Sevier Jaeden Martell as Alton Sam Shepard as Pastor Calvin Meyer Bill Camp as Doak Scott Haze as Levi Paul Sparks as Agent Miller David Jensen as Elden Production Principal photography commenced on January 20, 2014, and took place for 40 days in New Orleans, wrapping on March 1, 2014. The film was produced by Sarah Green and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, with Glen Basner and Christos V. Konstantakopoulos as executive producers. Release Midnight Special was backed and primarily distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, and Entertainment One handled UK distribution. Warner Bros. initially set the film for a release on November 25, 2015, but in July 2015 moved the date back to March 18, 2016. The film was given a limited release on March 18, 2016, while the wide expansion began on April 8 in the United States. Warner Home Video released the film on DVD and Blu-ray in the U.S. on June 14, 2016. Reception Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an 83% approval rating based on 240 reviews; the average score is 7.30/10. The site's consensus reads, "Midnight Specials intriguing mysteries may not resolve themselves to every viewer's liking, but the journey is ambitious, entertaining, and terrifically acted." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on 44 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club described the "Spielberg-esque" science fiction chase film as "more of a genre piece than anything Nichols has done, carried by its steady momentum and its engrossing sense of mystery." He praised Midnight Special for Nichols' visual style and an "embarrassment of wonderful performances". Benjamin Lee, writing for The Guardian, felt that Nichols was "making a concerted effort to stake his claim as a hit-maker" but that the film lacks "Spielbergian magic", leaving it "disappointingly lifeless". References External links Midnight Special on Sporify 2016 films 2010s coming-of-age drama films 2010s science fiction drama films American coming-of-age drama films American science fiction drama films Dune Entertainment films 2010s English-language films Films set in Florida Films set in Louisiana Films set in San Antonio Films shot in New Orleans Films about telekinesis Warner Bros. films Films directed by Jeff Nichols 2016 drama films Films about father–son relationships