MIFF 2022 Film Review - Something in the Dirt
Image courtesy of the Melbourne International Film Festival.
Directed, produced by, and starring Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, Something in the Dirt blends mumblecore charm, small-scale sci-fi spectacle, wild conspiracy hijinks and self-aware mockumentary humour as the dynamic duo return to their roots and explore a story about cults, electromagnetism, gravity, an interdimensional cactus, and the seedy history of their apartment complex in L.A. (because where else would a story like this take place?).
Having been a fan of these micro-budget mad scientists for a decade now, it's been incredible to watch their cinematic journey. From the low-key meta Resolution, to putting the love in Lovecraftian with Spring, to the sincerely stellar The Endless (seriously, I will not stop recommending The Endless), to the time-hopping, pill-popping Synchronic, and even the MCU's Moon Knight, it's clear that they're interested in exploring high concept stories from a unique perspective, even if their recent, higher-budget outings have had their fair share of narrative shortcomings. It seems oddly cathartic then that their immediate follow-up to Synchronic and Moon Knight is a pandemic film set almost entirely within an apartment, and while I won’t harp on about that aspect too much because I’m sure we’ve all had our fill, it’s refreshing to see a film that briefly acknowledges this period of our lives without needing to dumb itself down by dumping buzzwords that might otherwise pull you out of the experience.
Instead we follow Levi, a bartender on parole, and John, an evangelical wedding photographer, as the two inept men try to capture a supernatural phenomenon plaguing Levi’s apartment on film, and in the process, find themselves descending into paranoia as they each try to out-redpill one another. While it could be just as easy for viewers to get wrapped up in deciphering the mystery of it all, the real joy is seeing two people who are so clearly out of their depth stumble their way further down the rabbit-hole, bolstered by their signature blend of dry, dark comedy & deadpan delivery. Benson & Moorhead have spent enough time in front of cameras as well as behind them at this point that their chemistry is instantaneous and natural, and the film’s meta aspects crystallise fairly early on. This is a filmmaker’s film through and through; an ode to the idea that budget is no match for imagination.
However, that’s not to say that everything gels cohesively, and the many moving parts of its layered conspiracies can overwhelm just as easily as they excite. For fans of what Benson & Moorhead are doing, the idea of them biting off more than they can chew should come as no surprise, but for the uninitiated, Something in the Dirt offers up a bounty of intriguing morsels, and to witness filmmakers attempt so much with so little is inspiring in its own right.
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Something in the Dirt is screening as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival, running in cinemas August 4-21 and online August 11-28. For tickets and more info, click here.