Mike Flanaganis a rising star in the world of horror, and his latest series,Midnight Mass, may have cemented his status as one of the all-time greats. It is a deeply personal series that not only explores Flanagan’s experience with alcoholism but also his time in the Catholic Church. It tells the story of a young man returning to his island hometown after serving time for killing someone in a drunk driving incident, bearing witness to the town’s religious revival after the arrival of a young priest who seems to be able to perform miracles.
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Flanagan had been shopping the very concept of the series for years:it started as a novel, then became a movie script, and then finally became a Netflix miniseries. One wonders what exactly what this series would look like if it got off the ground much earlier if a TV executive took a gamble on Flanagan’s idea and actualized it. If made earlier, the cast would consist of some fairly notable names from TV and film of the decade of the 2000s.
This article contains key details about the plot ofMidnight Mass.
Riley Flynn - Ryan Gosling
Zach Gilfordbrings a cool, Ryan Gosling-esque swagger to the small-screen as Riley Flynn. In fact, a youngRyan Goslingwould have been perfect for the role of Riley.
At the turn of the decade, one of Gosling’s best performances was in 2011’sDriveas the titular driver. Gosling portrayed a stoic getaway driver with deep-seated anger problems and a heart of gold. Gilford’s performance is similar, in that Gilford conveys a similar degree of stoicism, rage, and kindness through his performance of Riley. IfMidnight Massgot off the ground earlier, then Gosling would easily be a front-runner for this role.
Father Paul - Willem Dafoe
Hamish Linklaterportrayed Father Paul as a deeply vulnerable and nervous priest that could also flip on a dime and become confident and bombastic.Willem Dafoeis one of the few actors that can pull that off without a hitch.
Dafoe is no stranger to portraying religious figures. He played Jesus of Nazareth himself inThe Last Temptation of Christ.In his performance as the Messiah, Dafoe interprets Jesus as a conflicted religious and political leader, torn between Earthly desires and heavenly machinations. His parables and sermon show empathy and love towards the common man, but he’s also able to tap into righteous indignation when the need arises: Dafoe would be perfect in the role of Father Paul
Erin Greene - Naomi Watts
Naomi Wattsis an extremely underrated actress. It doesn’t seem like she has a lot of chances to flex her dramatic muscles. A 2000s version ofMidnight Masswould be a perfect opportunity for Watts, specifically in the role of Erin Greene, a young, pregnant actress returning to Crockett Island to escape her abusive spouse.
Kate Siegelis not only a frequent collaborator with Mike Flannagan, but is also his spouse. She brought an equal level of resolve and vulnerability as Erin. After her career-defining performance inMullholland Dr., Watts would perform that role flawlessly and with conviction. Watts' experience on that film, playing a young actress thrust into a strange and nightmarish world, would greatly inform her performance onMidnight Mass.
Bev Keane - Betsy Brandt
Breaking Badwas a huge break for the actressBetsy Brandt. She played Marie Shrader, the passive-aggressive sister-in-law of the protagonist Walter White (Bryan Cranston). Brandt pulls off this role amazingly, and that would make her great as Bev Keane ifMidnight Masswas made in the 2000s.
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Bev Keane, played bySamantha Sloyan, is the local zealot of Crockett Island. She claims to live and breathe scripture, but she’s a massive hypocrite who takes pleasure in talking down to and demeaning others. Sloyan makes the character really come to life and there’s little doubt that Brandt would be able to bring that same level of smugness and contempt.
Dr. Sarah Gunning - Lorraine Bracco
Sarah Gunning (Annabeth Gish) is Crockett Island’s only doctor, and because of that, she’s the only person who can look into the “miracles” that are occurring on the island from a scientific angle. Gish portrays Gunning as a professional and level-headed doctor, and in a 2000s edition ofMidnight Mass,Lorraine Braccowould ace the role with flying colors.
One of Bracco’s best-known roles was as Dr. Jennifer Melfi onThe Sopranos. She played the psychiatrist for the mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini). Bracco was able to convincingly portray a medical professional and make her character feel true to life. This makes Bracco a perfect fit for the role of Dr. Gunning.
Mildred Gunning - Drea Di Matteo
Mildred Gunning’s role is a tough one. One of the many miracles that occur on the Island is that some townsfolk seem to be getting younger by the day. Mildred is one of those people. She starts as a very elderly woman with advanced dementia, before slipping into middle-age, and then into young adulthood.
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Alex Essoedid an excellent job as Mildred, but if this miniseries would be made in the 2000s,Drea Di Matteowould be excellent in the role. Di Matteo is known for her role as Adriana La Cerva onThe Sopranos, and as an actress, she has a lot of range. There is little doubt that she would be able to excel in this very dynamic role, especially as her relationship with Father Paul begins to develop.
Sheriff Hassan - Mahershala Ali
Despite being the only form of law enforcement on Crockett Island, Sheriff Hassan (Rahul Kohli) is an outsider of his community. He’s the only Muslim man in his town, and that puts him at odds with the predominantly Catholic community.
Despite this, he works his job with quiet dignity, being a committed officer that doesn’t let his emotions get the better of him. IfMidnight Masswas made earlier, a great choice for this role would be an up-and-coming Mahershala Ali. Ali’s always brought a similar type of reservedness and dignity to the screen, and this role demands restraint.
Warren Flynn - Shia LaBeouf
Warren Flynn (Igby Rigney) is the younger brother of Riley Flynn. Warren is an average high schooler who is also an altar boy. He spends his free time working with his father or hanging out with his friends to smoke pot. Warren is mostly in the periphery in the series, although he has plenty of key scenes and takes on a larger role in the last two episodes.
The best pick for the role of Warren would be a youngShia LaBeouf. Before LaBeouf was embroiled in controversy from accusations of plagiarism, sexual assault, and myriads of other legal issues as an adult, he was an excellent teen actor. One of his most notable performances was as Stanley Yelnats IV inHolesas an average teenager who is wrongfully accused of a crime and subsequently sent to a juvenile detention camp. LaBeouf would give the role of Warren that same level of normalcy in his role as Stanley.
Leeza Scarborough - Raven-Symoné
Leeza Scarborough (Annarah Cymone) is the daughter of Crockett Island’s mayor and lost the use of her legs at a young age due to a stray bullet hitting her in the spine. However, Leeza regains her ability to walk after an apparent miracle and plays a major part in causing a religious revival in the town.
The role of Leeza has a lot of dramatic weight to it, but one also has to keep in mind that Leeza is just a normal teenager too: teen actorRaven-Symonéwould be a good choice for this role. Raven-Symoné made it big on the comedy seriesThat’s So Ravenbut has also cut her teeth on dramatic material in the 2007 made-for-TV movie,For One Night.With her experience, she could give a convincing and realistic performance of a young woman going through extraordinary circumstances.
The Angel - Doug Jones
The Angel is the driving catalyst of the miniseries.The creature’s presence turns the series from a supernatural mystery to a gothic horror story. Portrayed byQuinton Boisclair, Boisclair has mostly played monsters in his film career. He brings a level of physicality and realness to the role of the Angel, andDoug Jonesis probably the only actor who is comparable.
Doug Jones has had a very prolific career, although most audience members may not recognize him on sight: Jones is best known for playing non-human characters under heavy make-up and visual effects, frequently collaborating with Mexican horror auteur Guillermo del Toro. He brings to life the monsters and creatures their creators envision and would be perfect as The Angel.
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