The Vast of Night

The Vast of Night

Year: 2020

Runtime: 91 min

Language: English

Director: Andrew Patterson

Echo Score: 80
Sci-FiDramaMysteryThrillerFantasy

In 1950s New Mexico, a switchboard operator and a radio DJ stumble upon a strange audio signal that ignites a captivating investigation. As night falls, they explore dropped phone calls, old tapes, and cryptic whispers, uncovering hidden secrets within their small town. Their quest to understand the signal's origin becomes a thrilling pursuit that challenges their perceptions and potentially alters the future.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Vast of Night (2020)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Vast of Night (2020). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1950s

The 1950s was a decade marked by significant cultural shifts and advancements, particularly in technology and communication. This era often featured themes of paranoia and conspiracy, fueled by the Cold War environment, making it a fitting period for the movie's exploration of mysterious phenomena and government cover-ups.

Location

Cayuga, New Mexico

Cayuga, New Mexico, is a small town set in a seemingly quiet desert landscape, serving as the backdrop for eerie and mysterious events. Known for its vast open skies, it provides a serene yet haunting atmosphere that becomes a catalyst for the unfolding peculiar happenings in the film.

🏜️ Desert 🌌 Mystery

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 18:50

Main Characters – The Vast of Night (2020)

Meet the key characters of The Vast of Night (2020), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Everett (Adam Dietrich)

Everett is a teenage disc jockey whose passion for radio serves as a lifeline to the town and its residents. His curiosity and determination drive him to unravel the mystery of the strange signals. Throughout the film, he transitions from a carefree youth excited about basketball to someone deeply embedded in a spine-chilling quest for truth.

🎧 Disc Jockey 🤔 Curious 🏃‍♂️ Determined

Fay (Sierra McCormick)

Fay is a diligent switchboard operator who showcases a mix of bravery and resourcefulness throughout the film. Her keen instincts and quick thinking aid in the investigation of the mysterious signal, and her supportive friendship with Everett adds emotional depth to their harrowing journey.

📞 Switchboard Operator 🌟 Resourceful 👯‍♀️ Loyal

Billy (Bruce Davis)

Billy is a veteran whose haunting tales of military secrecy and past experiences at a clandestine facility provide crucial insights into the strange events occurring in Cayuga. His character reflects the struggle between truth and the societal reluctance to accept disturbing realities.

🎖️ Veteran 🗣️ Storyteller ⚰️ Haunted

Mabel (Gail Cronauer)

Mabel is an elderly woman whose cryptic messages add a layer of mystery to the narrative. Her belief in extraterrestrials and the danger they pose reveals themes of loss and longing, as she wishes to reunite with her abducted son, grounding the film's sci-fi elements in personal tragedy.

👵 Elderly 🔮 Mysterious 💔 Nostalgic

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 18:50

Major Themes – The Vast of Night (2020)

Explore the central themes of The Vast of Night (2020), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

👽 Alien Encounters

The theme of alien encounters pervades the film, shedding light on humanity's fascination and fear of the unknown. The characters face the possibility of extraterrestrial life, which raises questions about communication, perception, and reality in their small town setting.

🎙️ Media Influence

Media plays a central role in the film, showcasing how it can serve as a medium for both information and disinformation. As Fay and Everett use radio broadcasts to communicate urgent messages, the film highlights the power of media to shape public perception and response during crises.

🌀 Mystery and Paranoia

The atmosphere of mystery and paranoia is palpable throughout the film, as strange occurrences lead characters to question their reality. This theme reflects broader societal concerns of the era related to government secrecy and the potential threats lurking beyond the ordinary.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 18:50

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Cold War conspiracy thrillers like The Vast of Night

Small-town citizens uncover government secrets and alien mysteries during a tense era.Explore more movies like The Vast of Night that delve into government secrets and alien mysteries set during the Cold War. These similar sci-fi thrillers capture a tense, investigative tone and an eerie, nostalgic small-town atmosphere.

paranoidconspiratorialnostalgiceerieinvestigativesuspensefulhistorical

Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically follow a protagonist or small group who, through a seemingly minor discovery, peel back the layers of a larger, hidden truth. The narrative is driven by investigation, witness testimony, and a growing sense of paranoia, often leading to ambiguous or unsettling revelations about authority and the unknown.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on uncovering clandestine operations, their tense and mysterious tone rooted in a specific historical context, and their use of an investigative structure that keeps the audience guessing alongside the characters.

Slow-burn audio mysteries like The Vast of Night

Stories where mysterious sounds and transmissions unlock a creeping supernatural threat.Find movies similar to The Vast of Night that use mysterious audio signals and transmissions to build suspense. If you liked the investigative, sound-focused plot, these films offer a similar eerie and atmospheric slow-burn experience.

atmosphericeerieinvestigativeuncannysuspensefulsound-focusedsupernatural

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern revolves around a cryptic audio phenomenon that serves as the catalyst for the entire plot. Characters act as detectives, using technology to analyze and trace the sound's origin, leading them down a rabbit hole of increasing strangeness and dread. The story's power comes from what is heard, not seen.

Why These Movies?

These films share a unique narrative device—using sound as the primary clue—which creates a distinct, immersive, and uneasy viewing experience. They are united by a specific pacing, a focus on investigation, and an atmospheric tension built through auditory cues.

Unlock the Full Story of The Vast of Night

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The Vast of Night Summary

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The Vast of Night Summary

The Vast of Night Timeline

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The Vast of Night Timeline

The Vast of Night Spoiler-Free Summary

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The Vast of Night Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Vast of Night

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The Vast of Night: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

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