The Midnight Sky

The Midnight Sky is currently streaming in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on Netflix, and it earns its premise rather than just borrowing genre trappings. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. George Clooney's performance is the anchor the more ambitious scenes need. Available now on Netflix — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, The Midnight Sky earns its spot. What makes The Midnight Sky work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. A lone scientist in the Arctic races to contact a crew of astronauts returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe. George Clooney and Felicity Jones lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2020. What separates The Midnight Sky from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, The Midnight Sky fits the bill. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. George Clooney anchors it with a performance that makes the more abstract moments feel personal. If you have been burned by ambitious sci-fi before, this is the exception.