On November 10, 'Something in the Dirt' hits theaters, a hit from the Sundance festival and a new engaging work by the duo Justin Benson – Aaron Moorhead. And again, it's about the paranormal, which so captivates filmmakers and their fans.
After working with streaming giants like Netflix ('Archive 81') and Disney+ ('Loki'), the creative duo Justin Benson – Aaron Moorhead have returned to their beloved experimental cinema. Their new work – 'Something in the Dirt' – is the very flesh and blood of what made this duo famous: a convoluted plot, inventive visuals, and an boundless love for cinema.
The Truth Is Out There... on the Couch
Recently acquainted neighbors John and Levi (played by Benson and Moorhead themselves) accidentally witness a supernatural phenomenon in John's apartment – a crystal ashtray begins to levitate. Soon, mysterious symbols appear and disappear on the wall, and the closet starts to get downright weird.
Instead of fleeing from this devilry, the newfound friends decide to document these events and turn the resulting material into a documentary film.
The heroes nimbly jump into this rabbit hole, where conspiracy theories pile on top of each other, and Mulder and Scully are old hat. In every little thing, they start seeing signs everywhere. With great enthusiasm, they try to interpret coincidences, find any historical confirmation, and even bring in experts from various fields to give the documentary weight. And all of this – without leaving the house!
Beyond the Impossible
in the film 'Something in the Dirt' they pull off an amazing trick – they completely erase the boundaries between cinema and reality. The main characters are making a documentary, part of which we see on screen, parallel to the fact that we ourselves are now watching a movie about two friends who made that very movie about making a movie. This paradox blows your mind even more than the coincidences that stir the minds of John and Levi in the process of their amazing discoveries, which reference everything from 'The Da Vinci Code' to the Pythagoreans.
Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are horror filmmakers, cinema fans, and jacks of all trades. The future of our beloved art lies with people like them.
Open material
The film itself is chock-full of all sorts of post-, post-, and meta-, meta-. The authors convincingly tie one theory to another, only to then just as easily poke fun at the absurdity of such a line of thought. And it's pleasant when you are both entertained and not treated like a fool.
The viewer is given the opportunity to assign meaning (or even meanings) to the picture themselves, or conversely, to laugh at the absurdity of everything happening. You can either dive headfirst into the search for truth alongside the characters, or discern a reflection of paranoid moods in society through various details.
If you set aside all the paranormal side of the story, it immediately becomes clear that 'Something in the Dirt' is actually a film about friendship. About how two lonely people, who, by and large, have nothing in common, come together on the basis of a suddenly shared interest.
If you stay through the credits, you'll see that the authors themselves dedicate it to those friends who would like to make their own movie. To the same enthusiasts who can tell a fascinating story without leaving their own apartment. Just like that. Out of love for the art. And this sincerity cannot help but resonate.
Trailer:
Comments
0No comments yet.
Sign in to join the discussion.