Midnight Mass on Netflix tackles religion and addiction in small-town America in a miniseries, and it’s biblical
- The miniseries’ director, Mike Flanagan, draws on his experiences as a Catholic altar boy and dealing with alcoholism
- Zach Gilford stars as a black sheep who returns home after a prison sentence to a town undergoing a religious revival
In his horror films and TV shows, Mike Flanagan has adapted the work of authors from Shirley Jackson to Henry James to Stephen King. His new original Netflix show also boasts literary inspiration, and it’s not just any book.
It’s the Good Book. Scripture and beliefs from the Bible share screen time with man and monster alike in Midnight Mass (streaming now), a Halloween-ready, seven-episode limited series and the latest creepy Flanagan creation to binge on alongside The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor.
This exploration of religion and addiction “was always particularly special to me because it’s been so interwoven into my life and my childhood”, Flanagan says.
Midnight Mass revolves around the small community of Crockett Island, where Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford) returns home a disgraced black sheep. Raised as a believer, Riley had his life derailed in a drink-driving accident that killed a young woman – an incident that sent him to prison for four years and also took away his faith.
Riley reconnects with his pregnant childhood love Erin (Kate Siegel), another pariah among the locals. Riley’s return also coincides with the arrival of a mysterious and captivating new priest, Father Paul (Hamish Linklater).
