The Midnight Club: Season 1/ Episode 1 “The Final Chapter” [Premiere] – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
“The Midnight Club” is a sluggish watch with predictable jump scares and while it could get better, it makes a paltry effort to convince you to stay.
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“The Midnight Club” is a sluggish watch with predictable jump scares and while it could get better, it makes a paltry effort to convince you to stay.
| Aired (Netflix) | 10/7/2022 |
| Created or Developed By | Leah Fong and Mike Flanagan |
| Based On | “The Midnight Club” by Christopher Pike |
| Executive Produced By | Mike Flanagan, Leah Fong, Trevor Macy, Julia Bicknell, Christopher Pike |
| Director(s) | Mike Flanagan |
| Writer(s) | Mike Flanagan and Leah Fong |
| Genre | Drama, Horror, Romance, Young Adult |
| Introduced This Episode | |
| Ilonka | Iman Benson |
| Tim | Matt Biedel |
| Georgina Staton | Heather Langenkamp |
| Spense | William Chris Sumpter |
| Anya | Ruth Codd |
| Kevin | Igby Rigney |
| Amesh | Sauriyan Sapkota |
| Sandra | Annarah Cymone |
| Cheri | Adia |
| Natsuki | Aya Furukawa |
This content contains pertinent spoilers.
Summary
It’s 1994, and before she can go to Stanford as an English major and set the course to fulfill her dreams of being the next Mary Shelley, the writer of “Frankenstein,” Ilonka learns she has thyroid cancer. Then, to make matters worse, it metastasizes in her lungs by her 18th birthday, and she is noted to be terminal. The news hits her, and her foster dad, Tim, hard, but with that comes Ilonka using the internet to find Brightcliffe Hospice. Run by Dr. Georgina Staton for decades, in honor of her son, Julian, who died of cancer, she gives teens and young adults the dignity of dying with some realm of freedom.
Tim, initially, isn’t for the idea of Ilonka going to Brightcliffe, for he wants to continue the fight. However, Dr. Staton’s speech about using war terms when speaking of cancer leads her to introduce the idea that she wants to give young people, like Ilonka, the permission they need to leave the battlefield and enjoy what time they have left.
So with that, Ilonka joins Spense, Anya, Kevin, Amesh, Sandra, Cheri, and Natsuki. Currently, the “seniors” there are Anya and Sandra, two total opposites as Sandra is nice and religious, and Anya seems like a forgotten member of the Sex Pistols. As for everyone else? They’re nice. Amesh is the last new kid, Spense is cool, Kevin is a potential love interest for Ilonka, Cheri is a pathological liar who seems nice enough, and Natsuki is chill.
But, to keep life interesting, the residents of Brightcliffe Hospice maintain what is known as “The Midnight Club.” It is when each tells stories, usually of a horror nature, unless you are Sandra, at midnight, with a drink if they can find it. But beyond bonding over stories and alcohol, part of being in the club calls for telling what’s beyond this life and part of the next. And with Ilonka following Anya to the basement, where the club meets, she joins and delivers her first story about a former member of Brightcliffe who didn’t leave in a body bag but walked out, cancer free.
Things To Note
Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs
Startled isn’t the same as scared.
— Spence
Review
Low Points
Cheap Jump Scares
Throughout the first episode of “The Midnight Club,” there are jump scares, but, as Spense notes when criticizing Natsuki’s story, what is provided are more startling moments than actual scares. In fact, if you are coming for a good late-night watch, “The Midnight Club” doesn’t deliver in its first episode. Yes, there is a creepy old woman and potentially disturbing imagery, but after a while, you get adjusted to the point of scares feeling as normal as Anya being a grouch.
The Pacing
The episode may only be an hour, but it feels like more since there isn’t the rush of a thriller involved. It wants to go into Ilonka going from someone with a bright future to getting a terminal diagnosis. Then introduce all the cast members, one by one, with diagnosis and enough for you to get a feel for who they are. Which is fine, but with Spense breaking each one down by diagnosis and one character trait, there is this checklist feeling which doesn’t necessarily make you want to get to know more about anyone.
I’d even say, for Cheri, who lies incessantly, there isn’t much of a desire to find out why or the truth. You are just slugging along, hoping something can pique your curiosity, and nothing shows up outside of maybe Ilonka and Kevin becoming a thing.
On The Fence
While Not Terrible, It Isn’t A Must See
“The Midnight Club” lacks a notable hook. Yes, Anya being a cruel Brit has entertainment value. Having someone like Sandra, a religious young adult, feels very rare in modern times. But, with her being made fun of for it and coming off as a joke, it doesn’t hit with the strength it could have. And then, when it comes to everyone else, you have to appreciate the diversity, but it isn’t like they are bringing something besides names and appearances to make them appear different.
With that said, it isn’t like “The Midnight Club” lacks potential. As noted, each person could tell a story that has a different theme or tone. If Sandra does angel porn and Natsuki loves a good jump scare, who is to say everyone won’t take on a different sub-genre of horror and give you something new and different? But, as noted in the overall, no show, especially one available to binge-watch, should assume you’ll be hooked because you watch part or all of episode one. There is far too much competition out there for being average or mediocre. Especially when your episodes are long, and approximately ten hours.
So hopefully, “The Midnight Club” can figure a way to recover from a lackluster premiere that gives you very little reason to not watch the dozens upon dozen of other shows or movies that came out this weekend.
