My 27 Movie A-Z Film-a-thon: Day 23.
The Vast of Night is about two young people in 1950s New Mexico at the start of their careers. Fay is a nighttime telephone operator, and Everett is a radio DJ whose show often overlaps with her shift. The two exchange ideas about radio frequencies, communication technology, and on-air topics while they record. As they head to a high school basketball game, they cross paths with various townspeople—though they’re both really headed to work.
The most obvious thing about The Vast of Night is that the first half is better than the second. This isn’t so much a movie as it is a directing showcase. “Look at all the neat tricks I can do,” first-time director Andrew Patterson seems to say. He opens with sharp dialogue and rarely lets up. Sierra McCormick (Fay) and Jake Horowitz (Everett) are natural performers, developing a clever, easy rapport. Patterson creates characters that exude charm—people you genuinely want to spend time with.
The period details are outstanding. The dresses, the analog tech, the cars—all of it feels lovingly recreated. The production is fully amped up, as though this story needed the finest craftsmanship across the board. Small details are treated as vital clues in a puzzle larger than it appears. I’m just not convinced.
If this were an episode of a TV show, I’d rave about it endlessly. I don’t want to say it adds up to nothing, but it does the hardest parts so well that it’s easy to forget it skips over the essential elements of storytelling. It exudes atmosphere and builds a world that feels worth living in. Every moment is enjoyable. But… that’s about all I can say for it. The film needed a second act that ramped up the stakes, delivered strong set pieces, or introduced a plotline that lingered after the credits rolled. It’s safe to say almost anyone would agree it has none of those things.
Now I want to see Andrew Patterson direct a full feature—something uniquely paced and emotionally resonant. Some of his more ambitious choices, like a long tracking shot across the entire town, don’t add much. It felt like a Disney World ride—cool, sure—but not necessarily the right tool for this particular story. It’s a sequence that flaunts the film’s budget rather than serves its mood or characters.
Even the jobs feel a bit too easy. Being a telephone operator and a DJ is portrayed without much stress or realism. Fay singlehandedly routes every call with a few cable switches, with little else to do besides chat with Everett about a mysterious sound. Both of them can leave their posts whenever they want and don’t seem particularly obligated to return. A long-distance caller reaches Everett live—how did he even hear the broadcast? The small events that do occur feel rushed and improbable if this were a real emergency.
This story would’ve benefited from taking place over multiple days. Even more, it begged to be a full-blown horror film. The atmosphere is there—it just needs a situation to match. I can try to make this more exciting than it is, but I know it isn’t. A movie like this demands a twist—or at least a plot turn that redefines everything we’ve seen. Instead, it builds to a sense of foreboding that ultimately feels a little dishonest. It’s a ho-hum thriller, made exciting only because of its promise of future projects this team might eventually produce.
7/10
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