--- title: "The Vast of Night: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-vast-of-night/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-vast-of-night" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 25 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Vast of Night (2019): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 25 reviews: 21 positive, 4 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like the film, and none of the twenty-five reviews is negative. The praise gathers around the camerawork, above all a long tracking shot that travels the town at night, and around a sound design that carries much of the tension. The two leads draw repeated notice for their chemistry, and several reviewers admire the 1950s setting for feeling lived-in rather than nostalgic. More than one treats it as a debut that announces a director worth following. The reservations cluster at the ending. Several find the final reveal predictable or a let-down, and one or two think the closing effects unnecessary. A couple object to the framing device, saying it holds the story at an ironic distance. The spread is narrow, with only four mixed notices. Collider is the coolest, finding the film stylish but shallow, with a mystery that cannot sustain interest. The Hollywood Reporter, writing from an early festival screening, finds it obscure and abrupt. Even the doubters praise the direction. ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 5/5. 29 May 2020. O’Sullivan says the film deserves the hype, while noting its quieter, wonkier style. She particularly praises its extraordinary tracking shots, which give the town and story a thrilling sense of urgency. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-vast-of-night-review-andrew-pattersons-wonky-gem-deserves-the-hype-a4454406.html) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2020. Lane calls the film an absorbing, carefully crafted piece of small-scale science fiction. He especially praises its patient storytelling and a remarkable tracking shot that tours the town, though he finds the concluding effects unnecessary. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/06/08/shirley-takes-a-one-sided-view-of-its-subject) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 May 2020. Willmore praises the film as a thrilling, fresh discovery that balances retro sci-fi with a modern sensibility. She singles out its audacious long take and sound-driven filmmaking, while noting one monologue strains for gravitas. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-sci-fi-debut-the-vast-of-night-on-amazon-prime.html) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 2 July 2020. Freer finds the film an assured, original, and moving piece of sci-fi that announces a singular talent. He particularly praises its fluid camera work and evocative, non-nostalgic recreation of the 1950s. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-vast-of-night/) ## Little White Lies — Josh Slater-Williams Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The critic finds the film riveting and ultimately heartbreaking, praising its formal inventiveness. They also single out the fully realised, lived-in Americana and the leads’ magnetic performances. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/festivals/the-vast-of-night-review) ## IndieWire — Ryan Lattanzio Rating B+. 28 May 2020. Lattanzio finds the film a charming, confident, and genuinely spooky debut, despite a disappointing reveal in its final act. He praises the lead actors’ buoyant chemistry and the director’s assured visual craft. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-vast-of-night-review-amazon-1202234018/) ## The AV Club — Katie Rife Rating B+. 29 May 2020. Rife praises the film as an assured, resourceful indie achievement, despite finding its conclusion somewhat predictable. She singles out its inventive use of dialogue, sound, and camerawork to build atmosphere on a limited budget. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/sci-fi-wonder-the-vast-of-night-is-an-inspiring-testame-1843731490) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2020. Chang finds the film an ingenious, strikingly new blend of old storytelling forms, and says it builds investment in its characters with pleasing clarity. He especially praises the performances that make the radio conversations captivating, alongside the cinematography’s arresting night-time tracking shots. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-05-27/vast-of-night-review-prime) ## Radio Times — Andrew Collins Rating 4/5. The critic praises the film as a stylish, knowing riff on Twilight Zone-style storytelling. They single out the engagingly offbeat leads and the absorbing monologues. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-vbyfys/the-vast-of-night/) ## The Guardian — Mark Kermode Rating 4/5. 31 May 2020. Kermode finds the film a mesmerising, well-paced mystery that makes familiar science-fiction territory feel intriguing. He especially praises its inventive camerawork and the moments when it lets the characters and sound hold the audience’s attention. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/may/31/the-vast-of-night-review-mesmerising-retro-sci-fi-andrew-patterson-debut-space-invasions) ## Variety — Amy Nicholson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 2019. Festival review. Nicholson finds the film charming and inventive, with an execution that makes its familiar B-movie premise engaging. She especially praises the ambitious tracking shot and the crew’s creativity in turning budget limits into magic. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-vast-of-night-review-1203335505/) ## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen Rating 3/4. 26 May 2020. Bowen finds the film lovely and wistful, praising its patient cultivation of anticipation. He singles out its intimate radio-drama approach and evocative tracking shots, while noting that the payoff is limited. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-vast-of-night-review-andrew-patterson/) ## Film Comment — Amy Taubin Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The dispatch frames the film as an extraterrestrial surprise, but the available text gives no specific critical verdict. No particular element is singled out for praise or complaint in the accessible excerpt. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/sundance-dispatch-beats-and-the-vast-of-night/) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2020. The URL identifies this as a review of the specified film, but the page provides no review text. The critic’s verdict and any singled-out praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/28/movies/the-vast-of-night-review.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Justin Lowe Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 26 January 2019. Festival review. The critic finds the film intriguingly quirky but frustratingly obscure, with long conversations and an abrupt ending weakening its impact. The fluid camerawork and convincing mid-1950s production design stand out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/vast-night-slamdance-2019-1179568/) ## The Playlist — Chris Barsanti Rating A. 19 May 2020. Barsanti praises the film as a beautifully atmospheric, suspenseful debut that favors mystery over explanation. He singles out its assured long takes and evocative use of vintage broadcast equipment. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/vast-night-review-amazon-20200519/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2020. The critic finds the film a gripping, charming sci-fi adventure that feels both rooted in the 1950s and relevant today. They especially praise its immersive sound design and camera work, including a remarkable continuous shot through town. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/vast-of-night-film-review-andrew-patterson-jake-horowitz/) ## Den of Geek — Rosie Fletcher Rating 4/5. 2 June 2020. Fletcher calls the film a glorious, confident sci-fi homage and praises its blend of B-movie fun and arthouse craft. She especially singles out the chemistry between its leads and the meticulous sense of time and place. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-vast-of-night-review-a-retro-sci-fi-gem/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 May 2020. Wilkinson finds the film a familiar but compelling story, with its inventive filmmaking making it stand out. She especially praises Patterson’s pacing, camerawork and sound design for building tension without relying on special effects. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-vast-of-night-2019-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). The critic calls the film an impressive, distinctive debut, despite finding its framing device a misstep. They praise the performances and sound design, especially the eerie, carefully developed signal. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-vast-of-the-night-review/) ## NME — Alex Flood Rating 4/5. 28 May 2020. The review finds the film an engrossing, inventive homage that overcomes its familiar sci-fi premise. It singles out the clever camera work and long tracking shots, alongside the lead performances. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/the-vast-of-night-review-2677910) ## The Skinny — Rory Doherty Rating ★★★★. 27 June 2019. Festival review. The review finds the film atmospheric and arresting, with familiar material elevated by its execution. It singles out the leads’ vibrant performances, stylish visuals, and lively chemistry, while noting that exposition slows the narrative. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-vast-of-night) ## /Film — Marisa Mirabal Rating 8 out of 10. 21 September 2019. Festival review. Mirabal finds the film dazzling and uniquely unsettling, though she says its leads do not develop enough to deepen the emotional impact. She praises Patterson’s inventive camera work and use of sound to evoke the suspense of classic television and radio. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/569251/the-vast-of-night-review-fantastic-fest-2019/) ## Polygon — Tasha Robinson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 June 2020. Robinson finds the film’s storytelling spectacular, though its framing device adds unnecessary ironic distance and its protagonists have too little to do. She especially praises the hushed atmosphere created by the cinematography and sound design. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/2020/6/6/21282339/the-vast-of-night-movie-review-amazon-prime-science-fiction/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating C. 29 May 2020. Goldberg finds the film stylish but ultimately shallow, with its mystery unable to sustain interest. He praises Andrew Patterson’s assured direction and atmosphere, while criticizing the thin characterization and screenplay. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-vast-of-night-amazon-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-vast-of-night.md