Mike Flanagan's Netflix series Midnight Mass was deeply personal. The new horror series, which follows his Haunting duology, was a chance for Flanagan to explore his Roman Catholic past and the terror that can be brought about by religion and faith. Flanagan and Trevor Macy, executive producer of the show, happily discuss its development in a couple of new featurettes.
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In the more general video Flanagan is quite open about his past and Zach Gilfords character Riley. He explained that there were times when I didn't feel the consequences would apply to me back in those days. These consequences did indeed apply to Riley and the show follows him as he deals with that trauma when he returns home to Crockett Island, his hometown. As if that wasn't enough, Father Paul (Hamish Linkslater), a wandering priest, may cause more harm than good for the town.
Macy said that faith is a way to identify who you are and what you fear. Flanagan said that this is a story about the demise of the community. Flanagan went on to say that the corruption of Crockett's belief system spreads and eventually engulfs everyone on the island. Flanagan, Macy, as with all things religion-related, don't necessarily want to know the hard answer. The latter described this as the show's ethos: Ask questions and not give answers. These questions are often remembered by viewers and can even be terrifying. After all, it's Mike Flanagan's show.
Talking of scares...
It is a mystery that has been haunting Crockett Island since Father Paul's arrival on the island. It is revealed in all its glory in episodes three and four: A vampire. Paul believes it to be an angel. He soon gives the blood to the rest of the town for communion. What is the point of a vampire? For that, you can thank Bram Stoker and the Catholic Church. Flanagan acknowledged that the parallels between Dracula and Jesus' blood were inevitable.
Flanagan, Macy and others wanted to avoid the melancholy and outright sexiness of some recent interpretations. Flanagan called it ugly and Macy said that although its intelligent enough to get other people to drink its blood, the winged beast has no long-term plans.
Flanagan and Macy both knew that they wanted to create practical effects when it came time to the Angel's creation. Macy stated that the more practical one can be, the more an audience will feel it. VFX was used mainly to control the wings. These were not only real but also very heavy and difficult to puppeteer. They are proud of the overall effect and want it to make an impact.
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Midnight Mass is now available on Netflix
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