Close Menu
NERDBOT
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    Subscribe
    NERDBOT
    • News
      • Reviews
    • Movies & TV
    • Comics
    • Gaming
    • Collectibles
    • Science & Tech
    • Culture
    • Nerd Voices
    • About Us
      • Join the Team at Nerdbot
    NERDBOT
    Home»Movies»Amazon’s “The Vast of Night” is the Way Anthology Sci-Fi Should Feel [Review]
    Movies

    Amazon’s “The Vast of Night” is the Way Anthology Sci-Fi Should Feel [Review]

    Bill WattersBy Bill WattersMay 29, 20203 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

    Amazon’s latest new addition to it’s streaming offerings is an intimate 50’s Americana-set science-fiction thriller, “The Vast of Night.” Created by newcomers director Andrew Patterson and writers James Montague and Craig W. Sanger, it manages to accomplish what so many anthology-style tales fail to do – be an extremely well made successor to Rod Serling’s original “Twilight Zones”.

    Vast is so closely patterned on the classic series that it even opens zooming into a black and white CRT television with a voice-over monologue setting the scene. Opening in the late 50’s in a small town in New Mexico, it’s like any Summer evening, until the local telephone switchboard operator, Fay Crocker (played by Sierra McCormick), hears a strange noise coming over one of the lines. Taking it to the local radio station DJ, Everett Sloan (played by Jake Horowitz) they begin a hunt which leads them to begin to wonder if the source might not be from Earth.

    “The Vast of Night,” photo courtesy of Amazon

    It’s a simple setup, but so amazingly well executed to the screen. There’s something about the way the actors go about their professional roles, that they have the vibe of someone who knows the motions they’re going through so well that they’re grounded characters just from the lightest of grace notes. Their reality is juxtaposed in their small town setting – there are buildings and streets, but the town is rendered in a shorthand. It’s like it emerged Brigadoon-like out of the mists of a story being woven by Serling himself. The late-50s era trappings feel natural rather than a forced “look how many period-correct things we can cram into a scene” eye-wink.

    The source of the mysterious sound is almost secondary to Fay and Everett’s investigation and working through the clues and townsfolke who have pieces to add as it begins to fit together.

    This is most definitely a stand-alone film, rather than a piece of a longer anthology series, but we could hope that the team continues with more of these tales. So many of the series, from Amazing Stories to the latest attempt at a “Twilight Zone” continuation, fall short. Either the stories or their characters caught up in them never connect with the audience. Rare individual episodes will, but they’re painfully few and far between, where this hits the ground strolling on its way to a destination and never lets up.

    “The Vast of Night” is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

    Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

    Related Posts

    • “Supernatural” Seasons 1-5: How It Should Have Ended [Review]
    • Heavy Metal’s New Virus Comic Line Leads off with ‘The Red’ [Interview]

    Do You Want to Know More?

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleAniplex of America Launches 2 Day Online Fest for July 4-5
    Next Article Ancient Roman Pathway Uncovered in Northern Italian Vineyard
    Bill Watters
    • Facebook
    • X (Twitter)

    Bill Watters is a child of the late 70s- he walked into a theater to watch Star Wars, and emerged to become a lifelong fan of cinema and television. Spending nearly a decade as a projectionist, he fell into the Silicon Valley dot-com boom and became a codemonkey for a range of game companies. These days he's a frequent speaker, moderator, and panelist at pop-culture events and conventions, as well as a prolific film and television critic and genre news writer. He is also a member critic of both the San Francisco Film Critics Circle and the Broadcast Film Critics Association. In addition to his writing, he is also a photojournalist and can be found on Getty Images.

    Related Posts

    “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” Disappointing End to Exciting Franchise [Review]

    May 22, 2025

    Alex Garland to Direct “Elden Ring” Live-Action Film for A24

    May 22, 2025

    The Spiritual Meaning of Birds Oracle Deck: Honest Review(2025)

    May 22, 2025

    Jason Momoa, Roman Reigns in Talks to Star in “Street Fighter” Film

    May 21, 2025
    Elle Fanning in "The Great"

    Elle Fanning to Play Effie Trinket in “Sunrise on the Reaping”

    May 20, 2025

    “Zootopia 2” Gets First Teaser Trailer

    May 20, 2025
    • Latest
    • News
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Reviews

    Beyond Flowcharts: Influence Diagrams as the Next-Level Decision Tool

    May 23, 2025

    Leading with Intelligence: How AI Is Reshaping Enterprise Strategy

    May 23, 2025

    Documentary ‘Put the Guns Down: A World Epidemic’ Gains National Momentum with Major Streaming Release and Backed by Legends in the Hip-Hop Community

    May 23, 2025

    Tips to Balance Mental Health at the Workplace

    May 23, 2025

    “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” Disappointing End to Exciting Franchise [Review]

    May 22, 2025

    The Spiritual Meaning of Birds Oracle Deck: Honest Review(2025)

    May 22, 2025
    Kermit the Frog

    Kermit The Frog to Give 1st Commencement Address in Decades

    May 21, 2025
    Jim Morrison grave

    Stolen Bust of The Doors Frontman Jim Morrison Finally Recovered

    May 21, 2025

    “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” Disappointing End to Exciting Franchise [Review]

    May 22, 2025

    Alex Garland to Direct “Elden Ring” Live-Action Film for A24

    May 22, 2025

    Jason Momoa, Roman Reigns in Talks to Star in “Street Fighter” Film

    May 21, 2025
    Elle Fanning in "The Great"

    Elle Fanning to Play Effie Trinket in “Sunrise on the Reaping”

    May 20, 2025

    Jem and the Holograms Releasing 40th Anniversary Album

    May 22, 2025

    Zach Braff Returning as J.D. in “Scrubs” Revival

    May 21, 2025

    Norm from “Cheers” Actor George Wendt has Passed Away

    May 20, 2025

    First Teaser for HBO’s “It: Welcome to Derry” Finally Hits

    May 20, 2025

    “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” Disappointing End to Exciting Franchise [Review]

    May 22, 2025

    The Spiritual Meaning of Birds Oracle Deck: Honest Review(2025)

    May 22, 2025

    “Final Destination: Bloodlines” New Franchise Fun, Same Old Death [review]

    May 16, 2025

    “The Accountant 2,” “Fight or Flight,” “The Surfer” and More! [Review]

    May 10, 2025
    Check Out Our Latest
      • Product Reviews
      • Reviews
      • SDCC 2021
      • SDCC 2022
    Related Posts
    • "Supernatural" Seasons 1-5: How It Should Have Ended [Review]
    • Heavy Metal's New Virus Comic Line Leads off with 'The Red' [Interview]
    NERDBOT
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    Nerdbot is owned and operated by Nerds! If you have an idea for a story or a cool project send us a holler on [email protected]

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.