Most moviegoers may not know who Jeff Nichols is, but the director has been steadily gaining praise from critics for the contemplative, thematically rich work he’s delivered since bursting onto the scene less than a decade ago. Each of his first three films (Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter and Mud) gradually pushed Nichols closer to the mainstream, and his latest release, Midnight Special, serves as his much-anticipated entrance into big-studio world. But does the film — his fourth consecutive collaboration with actor Michael Shannon — retain the strong voice that brought Nichols to prominence in the first place?
