Midlands Review of Midnight
midlandsmovies • June 28, 2020
Midnight
Directed by AR UGAS
2020
Director and writer AR Ugas sinks his teeth into the repercussions of health, life and death in recently released short film Midnight, which also delves into a dark concoction of family and folklore.
A young couple (Adaya Henry and Ben Thorne) are told by a mysterious Frenchman (Mathias Andre) that their daughter is terminally ill. He gravely explains to them she is going to die but when he asks them to bring her to a room, he requests that the desperate parents shouldn’t enter no matter what they hear.
His demonic smile then cuts to 6 months later, where the parents are discussing their stressful day jobs. More problematic though are the tracks on their arms. Rather than any drug addiction however, the two are draining blood to feed their now vampiric offspring.
Director AR Ugas has previously tackled mythical subject matter (his Lord of the Rings-inspired Return of the Ring brought a touch of Tolkien to the West Midlands) and it’s once again great to see a mix of reality and fantasy.
And director of photography James Alexander Barnett cleverly edits between the kitchen drama realism and some stark lighting when we delve into the more gothic elements.
As the father struggles to maintain his working life, he returns home early one day where his wife has captured a restrained a hooded man, who is held hostage in their front room. The realisation that the two can no longer provide enough blood for their daughter sparks a row about how far they’ll go to satisfy her thirst.
Created as part of the Back In Film development program, Midnight is structured well with enough supernatural elements to make the couple’s choices more complex throughout its runtime. As we reveal that more human hunting has been taking place without the father’s knowledge, tensions rise as to what they can do, and perhaps should have already done.
Using paranormal lore to hang questions of conscience on, the film’s success is helped by the two leads whose believable performances show us how honourable intentions can lead to wicked deeds. Their suburban house becomes a lair for monstrous arguments. And a disturbing finale asks what it means to save a life, and to take one too.
In the end, with a strong and determined vision from the filmmaker, if you’re a sucker for either vampire tales or killer drama then Midnight provides a filling meal of mortal moral dilemmas.
Michael Sales
On Sunday 26th April Midlands Movies Editor Michael Sales & awards ceremony co-host Ed Stagg (BBC Radio) announced the nominations for the 2026 Midlands Movies Awards live from the Queen of Bradgate Vintage Cinema in Leicester. A big thanks was given to the entire Jury Panel of industry experts who gave up their precious time to watch a huge selection of creative projects and as always, had a difficult time choosing from the excellent number of films from the region. You can read the full list of nominations across all 16 categories below and watch our announcement videos here: Part 1 & Part 2 And please also check out our great awards partner Chrome Video Best Actress in a Leading Role Karendip Phull for Family Kate Bracken for The Lace Rachel Baker for Throwing Fruit Chloe Wade for How Long Sophie Bullock for Ma Prison Best Animated Film Of All the Things by Steff Lee Big Red by James Pyle Statue in the Garden by Qianhui Yu Butterfly by Jacob Christie Best Director Luke Worrall for The Waterline Lily Portman for Quiet Jack Richardson for Daniel’s Room Jonathan Hawes for Sorry We’re Closed Sophia Dall'Aglio for Man from Mars Best Documentary Nothing's Impossible by Jacob Thomas McClean A Birmingham Symphony by Jemma Saunders We Bring Light: Leicester's Diwali Legacy by Kieran Vyas The Sunshine Café by Jill Lampert Through the Viewfinder by William North Best Sound (Editing or Mixing) Neil Evans & his team for Artificial Insanity Alasdair Gretton for Dead on Distribution Deepanjali Patel for Earworm David Hamilton-Smith for The Pause Heidi Wilson for Of All The Things Best Actor in a Supporting Role Devon Junior for Lazar Tim Sparrow for Safety Net Shaiek Ahmed Rana for Family Luke Rollason for Quiet Peter Willoughby for A Story of Spring Best Visual & Special Effects Jake Wesley-Worrall for Soul Trader Steve Askey & team for The Correction Unit Nick Willett, Matt Burkey & Jayne Hyman for Black Goat JaqD SFX MUA, Mind Magic Studios and Ben Harker for Beyond the Witching Hour Pete Key, Jai Blanks and Jacob Christie for Countenance Best Cinematography Gary Rogers for The Pause Laurence Mason-Guetta for Sorry We’re Closed Ian Snape for Soul Trader Ash Connaughton for Daniel’s Room Duane Adamoli for Surfing (nominations continue below...)
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