Plot: Spanning space and time, Night Sky follows Irene (Sissy Spacek) and Franklin York (J.K. Simmons), a couple who, years ago, discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet. They’ve carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man enters their lives, the Yorks’ quiet existence is quickly upended…and the mystifying chamber they thought they knew so well turns out to be much more than they could ever have imagined.
Review: Just a month ago, Prime Video premiered their surreal western drama Outer Range which echoed the rural charm of Yellowstone but with a sci-fi twist. Now, the streamer is complementing that Josh Brolin series with what seems like a similar concept in Night Sky, a surreal drama with rural charm and a sci-fi twist. Where Outer Range focused on a mysterious hole in the ground that served as a gateway through time, Night Sky is more direct in showcasing a gateway that leads to an alien world. What starts out seeming like a quaint look at two retirees who guard one of the most amazing things mankind has ever seen slowly evolves into something much more. While the secrets and twists that Night Sky has in store certainly upend what I expected, this series doesn’t quite pack the same punch as I hoped despite some solid performances from Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons.
Set in downstate Illinois, Night Sky opens with a flashback showing a young Franklin and Irene York meeting for the first time and falling in love. Unaware of what their future will hold, we then shift to them in their golden years, played by Spacek and Simmons. The pair have entered into the routine that many couples do after decades of marriage, including dinners, conversation, and walks to their barn, which holds a gateway to outer space. After so long as guardians of the mysterious gate, Irene remains enamored with the foreign view while Franklin has grown weary of it. With her physical health in decline and his memory fading, Irene and Franklin debate whether they should stay or move on. That is until a mysterious stranger with bloody wounds appears in the alien observatory and Irene brings him home.
It seems like a fairly innocuous setup, but Night Sky then shifts to Stella (Julieta Zylberberg), a mother in Argentina guarding a different alien presence. With her daughter Toni (Rocio Hernandez), Stella’s connection to the alien world unfolds over the eight-episode series. At first, I wondered how Illinois and Argentina would be connected, but each episode builds the mythology more and more, as well as the identity of Jude (Chai Hansen), the stranger whom Irene begins to treat as a surrogate son, much to Franklin’s concern. The couple also must contend with a nosy neighbor, Byron (Adam Bartley), and their concerned granddaughter Denise (Kiah McKiman) who fears her elderly grandparents may no longer be fit to care for themselves. Over the first three episodes of the series, the majority of the tale is focused on realistic story elements which also include subplots involving secondary characters in the York’s hometown as well as flashbacks to their younger years and the first discovery of the gateway. There are moments concerning the alien and supernatural elements of the story, but they take a backseat after the premiere episode.
As I crossed the halfway point of Night Sky, I never felt like I was wasting my time as I enjoyed the interaction between Simmons and Spacek who portray a believable couple who have been together for decades. You will feel for them as you see where their age betrays their abilities and it is sad to watch two capable people who are no longer able to do what they used to do. The problem I had with this series was that the hook of the alien planet feels like an afterthought for much of the show as so much time is spent focused on developing the characters. I had hoped for a better balance between the two halves of the story but it never really feels like the sci-fi part comes together quickly enough and occasionally feels forced in.
Created by newcomer Holden Miller, Night Sky is beautifully directed by a team led by Academy Award winner Juan Jose Campanella (The Secret in Their Eyes) along with Philip Martin, Shari Springer Berman, Jessica Lowrey, and Robert Pulcini. The team makes solid use of the location shooting in Illinois and abroad, affording the series very high production values on top of the convincing special effects work. Because of the subtle nature of most of the FX, the series never feels over-the-top and manages to keep a realistic feel despite the unrealistic premise. The eerie score by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans, who also scored Outer Range, is appropriately otherworldly and enhances all aspects of the story while the cinematography from Ashley Connor, Andrew Wehde, and Pablo Desanzo keep this story looking consistently cinematic.
The best thing I can say about Night Sky is that it delivers excellent performances from Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons, both giving some of their best performances in years, despite the story not really keeping up enough momentum to warrant a week to week viewing cadence. Even watching these episodes in succession, I wondered why some plot elements were even included. By the end of the season, you will understand why some characters are given as much attention in the early going. Night Sky could easily have been a drama about lifelong love and the enduring strength of marriage despite the grief, longing, and secrets they share but the science fiction elements add a unique twist. I had hoped for more from that part of the tale, but many of you may feel more engaged. Coming so close on the heels of Outer Range, it is hard not to feel that Night Sky could have done so much more.
Night Sky premieres on May 20th on Prime Video.