The Midnight Sky (2020)
Movie · 2020 · Science Fiction, Drama · 1h 58m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 0.9/10 (178.6K ratings)
Tagline: There's a universe between all of us.
A lone scientist in the Arctic races to contact a crew of astronauts returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 0.9/10
- IMDb: 5.7/10
- Letterboxd: 2.50/5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
- Metacritic: 58
- TMDB: 5.7/10
Director: George Clooney
Production: Smokehouse Pictures, Syndicate Films, Anonymous Content, Truenorth Productions
Cast: George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Caoilinn Springall, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir, Tiffany Boone, Sophie Rundle, Ethan Peck, Tim Russ, Miriam Shor, Lilja Nótt Þórarinsdóttir, Hanna María Karlsdóttir, Atli Óskar Fjalarsson, Tia Bannon, Grant Crookes
Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict: A handsomely made, melancholy sci-fi survival drama with a strong premise and atmospheric Arctic imagery, but it’s often more admired for its look and intent than for its momentum or emotional payoff. Best approached as a quiet, reflective end-of-the-world story rather than a suspenseful space thriller.
Best for: viewers who like contemplative, slow-burn science fiction; fans of isolated survival stories; people drawn to bleak post-apocalyptic mood pieces; audiences who appreciate polished cinematography and production design
Skip if: you want fast pacing or constant plot escalation; you’re looking for hard sci-fi with rigorous worldbuilding; you dislike somber, emotionally restrained storytelling; you need a film with a strong sense of urgency throughout
Overview: The Midnight Sky is built on a compelling contrast: the frozen stillness of an Arctic outpost against the vast, desperate silence of space. It has the ingredients of a gripping post-catastrophe drama, and for stretches it delivers real atmosphere, especially in its wintry visuals and lonely, end-of-the-world tone. George Clooney stages it with a clean, mournful professionalism that keeps the film watchable even when it’s not especially alive.
Worth noting: What holds it back is a familiar kind of prestige-sci-fi heaviness. The film reaches for emotional grandeur and existential reflection, but the storytelling can feel thin, and the character work doesn’t always support the scale of the ideas. It’s the sort of movie that seems to be aiming for Interstellar-level awe while settling into something quieter, more conventional, and less affecting.
Bottom line: Still, there’s enough craft here to make it worth a cautious recommendation for the right viewer. If you’re in the mood for a bleak, reflective survival tale with strong imagery and a serious tone, it can work as a mood piece. If you want propulsion, surprise, or deep emotional catharsis, it’s likely to feel underpowered.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- matt lynch: I didn't think this was so bad but it's a testament to how basic Clooney is that he set a cute crew singalong moment to Sweet Caroline.
- Jay: interstolen
- Ethan Ethan: George Clooney proved that time is relative by making a 2 hour film that felt like 6 hours
- nabeel: miley cyrus did it better
- suttercain: Bad Astra
Recommended similar titles:
- Gravity (2013 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Drama · 1h 31m · PG-13 · Curator 6.5/10 (1.8M ratings))
A leaner, more immediate survival-in-space thriller with similar isolation, danger, and visual intensity.
- Interstellar (2014 · Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction · 2h 49m · PG-13 · Curator 9.4/10 (8M ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential)
Shares the cosmic scale, emotional ambition, and family-driven stakes, but with far more sweep and momentum.
- Ad Astra (2019 · Science Fiction, Drama · 2h 3m · PG-13 · Curator 4.8/10 (725.1K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, FXNow)
A reflective, lonely space journey that prioritizes mood, interiority, and emotional distance.
- Arrival (2016 · Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery · 1h 56m · PG-13 · Curator 8.9/10 (3.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium)
For viewers who want thoughtful science fiction centered on communication, grief, and human connection.
- Sunshine (2007 · Science Fiction, Thriller · 1h 48m · R · Curator 5.8/10 (533.8K ratings))
A tense, atmospheric mission film that blends existential dread with hard-edged sci-fi spectacle.
- The Road (2009 · Adventure, Drama · 1h 51m · R · Curator 5.5/10 (457.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
A bleak, intimate post-apocalyptic survival story with a similarly mournful emotional register.
- Children of Men (2006 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Action · 1h 49m · R · Curator 9.4/10 (1.3M ratings))
Dystopian urgency and human fragility, with a much stronger sense of momentum and world texture.
- Solaris (1972 · Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery · 2h 47m · PG · Curator 9.4/10 (298.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
For a more meditative, philosophical take on isolation, memory, and cosmic loneliness.
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968 · Science Fiction, Mystery, Adventure · 2h 29m · G · Curator 9.2/10 (2.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Philo, Max)
The benchmark for austere, contemplative space cinema and existential scale.
- The Abyss (1989 · Adventure, Thriller, Science Fiction · 2h 20m · PG-13 · Curator 5.9/10 (360.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus)
Another survival story in an extreme environment, balancing technical spectacle with emotional stakes.
- The Day After Tomorrow (2004 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Adventure · 2h 3m · PG-13 · Curator 1.7/10 (917.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu)
If the appeal is catastrophic weather and survival against a frozen planet, this is the bigger disaster-movie cousin.
- Mad Max 2 (1981 · Adventure, Action, Thriller · 1h 36m · R · Curator 8.0/10 (456.1K ratings))
A harsher survival classic for viewers who respond to stripped-down endurance in a ruined world.
Topics: science fiction, drama, post-apocalyptic, survival, space mission, Arctic setting, melancholy, slow burn, prestige sci-fi, existential
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/the-midnight-sky/614911
The Midnight Sky (2020)
Movie · 2020 · Science Fiction, Drama · 1h 58m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 0.9/10 (178.6K ratings)
There's a universe between all of us.
Overview A lone scientist in the Arctic races to contact a crew of astronauts returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.9/10
IMDb: 5.7/10
Letterboxd: 2.50/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
Metacritic: 58
TMDB: 5.7/10
Production Smokehouse Pictures, Syndicate Films, Anonymous Content, Truenorth Productions
Cast George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Caoilinn Springall, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir, Tiffany Boone, Sophie Rundle, Ethan Peck, Tim Russ, Miriam Shor, Lilja Nótt Þórarinsdóttir, Hanna María Karlsdóttir, Atli Óskar Fjalarsson, Tia Bannon, Grant Crookes
Where to watch Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A handsomely made, melancholy sci-fi survival drama with a strong premise and atmospheric Arctic imagery, but it’s often more admired for its look and intent than for its momentum or emotional payoff. Best approached as a quiet, reflective end-of-the-world story rather than a suspenseful space thriller.
Best for
viewers who like contemplative, slow-burn science fiction
fans of isolated survival stories
people drawn to bleak post-apocalyptic mood pieces
audiences who appreciate polished cinematography and production design
Skip if
you want fast pacing or constant plot escalation
you’re looking for hard sci-fi with rigorous worldbuilding
you dislike somber, emotionally restrained storytelling
you need a film with a strong sense of urgency throughout
Overview
The Midnight Sky is built on a compelling contrast: the frozen stillness of an Arctic outpost against the vast, desperate silence of space. It has the ingredients of a gripping post-catastrophe drama, and for stretches it delivers real atmosphere, especially in its wintry visuals and lonely, end-of-the-world tone. George Clooney stages it with a clean, mournful professionalism that keeps the film watchable even when it’s not especially alive.
Worth noting
What holds it back is a familiar kind of prestige-sci-fi heaviness. The film reaches for emotional grandeur and existential reflection, but the storytelling can feel thin, and the character work doesn’t always support the scale of the ideas. It’s the sort of movie that seems to be aiming for Interstellar-level awe while settling into something quieter, more conventional, and less affecting.
Bottom line
Still, there’s enough craft here to make it worth a cautious recommendation for the right viewer. If you’re in the mood for a bleak, reflective survival tale with strong imagery and a serious tone, it can work as a mood piece. If you want propulsion, surprise, or deep emotional catharsis, it’s likely to feel underpowered.
Top Letterboxd reviews
matt lynch (3★) · 746 likes
I didn't think this was so bad but it's a testament to how basic Clooney is that he set a cute crew singalong moment to Sweet Caroline.
Jay (2★) · 560 likes
interstolen
Ethan Ethan (1★) · 560 likes
George Clooney proved that time is relative by making a 2 hour film that felt like 6 hours
nabeel (2★) · 501 likes
miley cyrus did it better
suttercain (2★) · 403 likes
Bad Astra
Recommended similar titles
2013 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Drama · 1h 31m · PG-13 · Curator 6.5/10 (1.8M ratings)
A leaner, more immediate survival-in-space thriller with similar isolation, danger, and visual intensity.
2014 · Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction · 2h 49m · PG-13 · Curator 9.4/10 (8M ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
Shares the cosmic scale, emotional ambition, and family-driven stakes, but with far more sweep and momentum.
2019 · Science Fiction, Drama · 2h 3m · PG-13 · Curator 4.8/10 (725.1K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, FXNow
A reflective, lonely space journey that prioritizes mood, interiority, and emotional distance.
2016 · Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery · 1h 56m · PG-13 · Curator 8.9/10 (3.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium
For viewers who want thoughtful science fiction centered on communication, grief, and human connection.
2007 · Science Fiction, Thriller · 1h 48m · R · Curator 5.8/10 (533.8K ratings)
A tense, atmospheric mission film that blends existential dread with hard-edged sci-fi spectacle.
2009 · Adventure, Drama · 1h 51m · R · Curator 5.5/10 (457.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A bleak, intimate post-apocalyptic survival story with a similarly mournful emotional register.
2006 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Action · 1h 49m · R · Curator 9.4/10 (1.3M ratings)
Dystopian urgency and human fragility, with a much stronger sense of momentum and world texture.
1972 · Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery · 2h 47m · PG · Curator 9.4/10 (298.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
For a more meditative, philosophical take on isolation, memory, and cosmic loneliness.
1968 · Science Fiction, Mystery, Adventure · 2h 29m · G · Curator 9.2/10 (2.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Philo, Max
The benchmark for austere, contemplative space cinema and existential scale.
1989 · Adventure, Thriller, Science Fiction · 2h 20m · PG-13 · Curator 5.9/10 (360.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus
Another survival story in an extreme environment, balancing technical spectacle with emotional stakes.
2004 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Adventure · 2h 3m · PG-13 · Curator 1.7/10 (917.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu
If the appeal is catastrophic weather and survival against a frozen planet, this is the bigger disaster-movie cousin.
1981 · Adventure, Action, Thriller · 1h 36m · R · Curator 8.0/10 (456.1K ratings)
A harsher survival classic for viewers who respond to stripped-down endurance in a ruined world.
Topics
science fiction, drama, post-apocalyptic, survival, space mission, Arctic setting, melancholy, slow burn, prestige sci-fi, existential
Open The Midnight Sky (2020) on Curator TV