Jack Quaid's Favorite Movie Is This 92%-Rated Sci-Fi Sleeper Hit You Missed 6 Years Ago
This quiet sci-fi wonder is a must-see for fans of the genre – it masterfully blends retro aesthetics, suspenseful storytelling, and a love of the classics.
Nostalgic science fiction is a thing of the past. Not in the sense that it is losing popularity, but in the sense that fewer and fewer original stories are appearing within its framework.
Even Stranger Things has begun to noticeably decline in its third season, not to mention the feature-length works that have been exploiting pop culture imagery rather than using it to build unique worlds.
Jack Quaid's Favorite Film Is an Underrated Sci-Fi Gem
If you miss nostalgic sci-fi flicks, none other than Jack Quaid, star of The Boys and the recent thriller Companion, has the perfect recommendation for you.
In an interview with Letterboxd, the actor admitted that along with Jaws, The Incredibles and Shaun of the Dead, his favorite movie is the recent sci-fi The Vast of Night:
“I just love the scrappiness of the filmmaking. It's so well-done. It's mostly just people talking. All the actors are unbelievable.”
The Vast of Night is a 2019 movie that, despite having a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes, hasn't received much attention. And it's time to change that.
What Is The Vast of Night About?
It's the late 1950s, and almost everyone in a small New Mexico town is gathered in one place, a stadium, to watch a basketball game.
At the same time, a radio host, Everett, and a young telephone operator, Fay, begin investigating a possible alien invasion. They answer strange calls, watch changes in the sky, and expect to come into contact with something extraordinary.
The Vast of Night Is a Small Sci-Fi Debut Made With Great Love for the Genre
The Vast of Night is a small indie sensation. Before his feature debut, director Andrew Patterson had only made commercials. However, it feels like we have a seasoned director in front of us: The Vast of Night references sci-fi classics without becoming a second-rate copy.
Andrew Patterson assembled his debut film literally piece by piece and paid for the production out of his own pocket, but the tight budget did not affect the meticulous stylization.
The Movie Features Meticulous and Detailed 50s Stylization
The director is literally obsessed with the technology of the 50s, so his movie contains a lot of gadgetry – switching channels on the switchboard, rewinding tape reels, clicking buttons and switches.
Such a simple gadget as the dictaphone is a novelty to Fay and everyone around her, a little technological marvel that amuses and entertains by the very fact of its existence.
The Vast of Night Is a Touching and Charming Sci-Fi Wonder
The Vast of Night is a love letter to the science fiction of the 50s, and to the entire era, when information did not spread as quickly and it was much easier to believe in UFOs.
At the same time, it is also a very heartfelt movie about people who dream of getting out of their provincial town in search of big accomplishments.
