Mike Flanagan Explains His MIDNIGHT MASS Horror Series Is About the Ancient World Traditions of All of Our Religions
Mike Flanagan’s upcoming Netflix horror series sounds like it’s going to tell a great story. It’s set on Crockett Island, where an isolated island community experiences miraculous events and frightening omens following the arrival of a charismatic, mysterious young priest.
During a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Flanagan opened up and discussed the show and the inspiration behind it, including the Bible. You know, all that terrifying horror-type stuff in the Bible? Well, that played a big role in the story that Flanagan set out to tell. He explained:
"It's impossible to separate the Bible as a book from horror literature. It has everything in there. It's overtly and unapologetically espousing supernatural, horrific events left and right. Even the hero of the story—God, the embodiment of love—drowns the world when he gets angry enough in the Old Testament.
He goes on to say that Midnight Mass is about all of our regions, especially the ones that come from the ancient world:
"This isn't about just Catholicism, it's about the traditions of all of our religions, especially ones that reach back into the ancient world. The ancient world was a bloody and violent and terrifying place where we didn't understand the nature or the weather, or whether we'd live through the night or through the season. And every single natural function of the planet could be made to feel like a supernatural attack."
The article goes on to describe the show as "a gateway to exploring zealotry and extremism, especially when those things are perpetrated with the best intentions." It’s also explained that the show deals with Flanagan's "own feelings about faith, morality, forgiveness, and how human beings can distort those things, sometimes out of naïveté, and sometimes for their own glory rather than that of the greater good they purport to serve."
Flanagan's producing partner, Trevor Macy, shared, "I think the story is important to Mike because it represents nearly everything that's important to him as a human being and as a filmmaker. He gets to touch all of those bases in one show."
Midnight Mass “tells the tale of a small, isolated island community whose existing divisions are amplified by the return of a disgraced young man and the arrival of a charismatic priest (Hamish Linklater). When Father Paul’s appearance on Crockett Island coincides with unexplained and seemingly miraculous events, a renewed religious fervor takes hold of the community – but do these miracles come at a price?”
When talking about the story, specifically the miracles that start to take place, Flanagan says, "The actual miracles that begin to affect the residents of [the island] become impossible to ignore. It starts small. It starts with things like gray hair turning brown or blonde again, and people no longer needing their reading glasses. Bad backs and arthritis pain going away. But in relatively short order, Father Paul, on the alter at St. Patrick's, heals someone, echoing the kinds of miracles that Jesus himself performed for the sick. It takes the entire island's breath away."
Vanity Fair goes on to state, "In a time where denialism has become its own religion, demagogues manipulate followers, and misplaced skepticism fuels dangerous conspiracy theories, the lessons of Midnight Mass seem more relevant than before."
The cast includes Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights, The Purge: Anarchy), Kate Siegel (The Haunting of Hill House), and Hamish Linklater (Legion) set in lead roles. Joining them are Annabeth Gish (The Haunting of Hill House), Michael Trucco (Hunter Killer), Samantha Sloyan (Grey’s Anatomy), Henry Thomas (The Haunting of Hill House), Rahul Abburi (Killer Ransom), Crystal Balint (The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco), Matt Biedel (Altered Carbon), Alex Essoe (Doctor Sleep), Rahul Kohli (Supergirl), Kristin Lehman (The Chronicles of Riddick), Robert Longstreet (Doctor Sleep), Igby Rigney (Blue Bloods), and Annarah Shephard.
Flanagan has said that that Midnight Mass is his “favorite project so far,” and I can’t wait to see it! Midnight Mass premieres on Netflix on September 24th.