Adam Driver Starred In One Of The Most Underrated Sci-Fi Movies Of The 21st Century
In 2016, Adam Driver starred in a sci-fi movie where he played an experienced student of the universe's mysteries who becomes fixated on a younger person, interested in the fledgling powers they are starting to display. No, we're not talking about "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens," which came out at the end of 2015. Just a few months later, Driver starred in "Midnight Special," an underrated film from director Jeff Nichols that not enough people have seen.
Driver plays Paul Sevier, a communications analyst who works with encrypted satellites. He tracks down Alton (Jaeden Martell), a young boy who's been kidnapped. The government, the boy's family, his kidnappers, and perhaps other, even more interested parties all want to control Alton, because somehow, Alton can hear encoded transmissions from the skies.
"Midnight Special" was adored by critics, clocking in at 83% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. It's a thrilling sci-fi film, but it also feels small and intimate, as much a story about parenthood as it is about a kid who can do something special. Unfortunately, even though the movie starred people like Driver, Kirsten Dunst, and Michael Shannon, it only pulled in $3.7 million domestically. Perhaps audiences found the film too confusing, and needed the ending of "Midnight Special" explained in particular.
The movie established Adam Driver's indie credibility at a pivotal point in his career
Even though "Midnight Special" wasn't exactly a blockbuster, the film represents an intriguing turning point in Adam Driver's career. As director Jeff Nichols explained to Empire, the world learned that Driver had been cast as Kylo Ren in the "Star Wars" franchise on the very first day of filming. "He was kind of just like, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're here to do this movie,'" Nichols laughed.
"The Force Awakens" was released first, so Nichols laid claim to Driver's post-franchise career. "I think he's going to become one of the important actors of my generation," the director of "Take Shelter" predicted. He added, "I think you're going to look back on his career and you're going to say, 'Wow, that guy was putting up some of the most important work of that decade, of those two decades, three decades.'"
He wasn't wrong. A decade after the release of "Midnight Special," Driver is one of the most well-respected actors in the business. He's garnered Oscar buzz for films like "Marriage Story" even as he continues to be drawn to sci-fi movies, like "65," an action film in which he battles prehistoric dinosaurs. To quote Nichols, "Hopefully he works for a very long time."