I recently spent a quite Monday night watching Well Go USA's newest release, The Midnight After. Fate meets Armageddon when an overnight bus ride turns the lives of eleven strangers upside down. In the mere blink of an eye they find themselves completely alone in the world with no explanation of how or why. Having no one else to turn to, they eventually began to lean on one another as they fight to survive and figure out what's happening.
Unlike many other post-apocalyptic films, The Midnight After didn't have any measure of fear or a race against time. In fact, their world seemed deathly calm, which only added to the fascination of it all. I was quite absorbed into the plot and realized quickly that it was important to pay attention to the small details because they were essentially pieces of a larger puzzle. I thought I had it all figured out more than once only to have another clue shake up my original theory.
Cast wise, there were some familiar faces and not so familiar faces. The most well-known to me was Simon Yam. Simon strayed from his usual clean-cut handsome self to play the gritty but effective leader of the ragtag group. Supporting him was funny guy Lam Suet as the loud and loyal bus driver. The two veteran actors were excellent together as their skill and comfort with one another was quite evident. The lead actor was a young handsome guy named Wong You Nam. Opposite of him was a beauty with a baby-face, Janice Man. Both of them did a really good job in their respective roles. There weren't many deep emotional scenes or elaborate stunts, so the script didn't present any major challenges as far as I am concerned. However, they were intriguing in their roles and drew in interest to the characters very well. The remainder of the cast was decent as well. I did not find anyone overwhelming in either a positive or negative aspect, which basically means they were about average.
It was quite suspenseful trying to figure out the “who's, what's, when's and where's” of the plot. It almost felt interactive. While I found that part enjoyable, others may feel that they left with more questions than answers, especially considering the ending. However, I believe that that's one of the beauties of this film. It allows just enough room for interpretation. It's one of those movies that you will continue to think of later and create different scenarios for in your head. Any movie that causes me to invest additional think time is worth the watch. I recommend this movie for anyone who likes a brain-teaser and unique concepts. If you're sick of typical, The Midnight After is the perfect anecdote.
