The Wikipedia entry on Shaggy Dog Story defines it as 'an extremely long-winded anecdote characterized by extensive narration of typically irrelevant incidents and terminated by an anticlimax.' This pretty much sums up The Vast of Night.
It is so heavy on narrative that you could be blind and you would lose nothing of what little story there is. There are moments in this film when the makers, seeming to realise that they are making a movie and not a radio play, insert some odd camera work as tho the sheer oddity might ground it as something belonging in a visual medium. It doesn't: it merely serves as another layer of irrelevancy.
I couldn't possibly introduce spoilers talking about this movie because pretty much nothing happens. In the long history of shows like The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, to which this movie I think tries to pay homage, there were more than a few episodes that were dull and uninspired. But nothing springs to mind that was so poorly executed, so flat out dull and uninspired as this turkey.
Can't find a movie or TV show? Login to create it.
Want to rate or add this item to a list?
Not a member?
Reply by cpheonix
on June 7, 2020 at 5:37 AM
Very much agree with you. I fell asleep a couple of times trying to watch this. From what I saw, the main issue is that there's waaaaaay too much dialogue. Most of which I couldn't follow due to the heavy accent and/or the speed of which the characters were talking.
I appreciate the long takes and the style it was trying to convey, but ultimately, as you've said, very little happens (from the first 45mins I could get through). I can't remember a film where so much talking is done in the opening segment. Maybe a Tarantino film, but this was just so...boring.
Reply by Russ007
on June 8, 2020 at 10:26 AM
Watched this last night and I agree with you guys: uneventful and anti-climactic. Didn't feel like an actual film but the first episode of a TV series, which is what this should've been imho. Overall a disappointing experience.
Yes! During the opening when Everett walks through the hall I found it hard to understand one complete sentence. I think it was a mixture of his accent, as you pointed out, but also the 50s lingo/expressions that he uses which threw me off slightly. I'm happy there were subtitles otherwise I might not have watched the rest of the film.
Reply by Jacinto Cupboard
on June 8, 2020 at 7:16 PM
Poor sound quality seems to be an issue with a lot of productions made over the last 10 years. And yes, my hearing is just fine thx. I think sometimes directors/sound engineers are after a natural environment when actors talk. The problem is that it won't ever be a natural environment because they are actors, and the thing is contrivance so the goal is pointless. And by the time you add in a soundtrack and foley effects the dialogue can get buried. From memory, with this film there were also scenes where the characters were facing away from camera when talking.
These guys might try to remember that they have the benefit of a script so they already know what is being said. No decoding required for them.
Reply by Abejo
on June 21, 2020 at 2:20 PM
It gave me the feeling of watching a bad episode of a TV series. Too many dialogues to cover up the lack of argument
Reply by MongoLloyd
on June 21, 2020 at 9:34 PM
I made it about half way through before I realized nothing was happening or was going to happen. Cute girl though.
Reply by the.e
on June 29, 2020 at 2:57 PM
Agree with all the posts above, very boring and overrated.