X
- 2022
- R
- XYZ Films
- 1 h 56 m
- 2022
- R
- XYZ Films
- 1 h 56 m
Summary When neighbors John (Aaron Moorhead) and Levi (Justin Benson) witness supernatural events in their Los Angeles apartment building, they realize documenting the paranormal could inject some fame and fortune into their wasted lives. An ever-deeper, darker rabbit hole, their friendship frays as they uncover the dangers of the phenomena, the...
Directed By: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead
Written By: Justin Benson
- 2022
- R
- XYZ Films
- 1 h 56 m
- 2022
- R
- XYZ Films
- 1 h 56 m
Something in the Dirt
76
5.2
Where to Watch
Summary When neighbors John (Aaron Moorhead) and Levi (Justin Benson) witness supernatural events in their Los Angeles apartment building, they realize documenting the paranormal could inject some fame and fortune into their wasted lives. An ever-deeper, darker rabbit hole, their friendship frays as they uncover the dangers of the phenomena, the...
Directed By: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead
Written By: Justin Benson
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 25 Critic Reviews
76
96% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
4% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 25 Critic Reviews
76
96% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
4% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Their latest fusion of science fiction, character drama, dark comedy, and overwhelming paranoia, Something in the Dirt, feels like their most personal film – and not just because they wear so many hats, directing and writing and producing and editing and starring.
Doubling down on COVID-era listlessness and QAnon paranoia, the impressively fidgety, crammed-to-bursting Something in the Dirt ends up with something like: Please let my life make sense. It's an understandable wish in an uncertain moment.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 12 User Ratings
5.2
33% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
33% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
33% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 12 User Ratings
5.2
33% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
33% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
33% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
IN A NUTSHELL:
When neighbors John and Levi witness supernatural events in their Los Angeles apartment building, they realize documenting the paranormal could inject some fame and fortune into their wasted lives. An ever-deeper, darker rabbit hole, their friendship frays as they uncover the dangers of the phenomena, the city and each other.
The movie was written by Justin Benson. He also stars in the movie with Aaron Moorehead. Together, they produced it with David Lawson Jr. I’d never seen any of their previous work, but I’m intrigued now and think their buddy-comedy is fun.
THINGS I LIKED:
The movie is a mixture of comedy, horror, and mystery.
It doesn’t take very long to draw you into the mystery.
The storytelling technique that’s utilized is extremely entertaining.
Great sound effects!
There’s a lot of science and math that are explained. I have no idea if any of it is actually true or not, but it sounds good!
It explores supernatural phenomena, as well as the characters’ self-reflection in the story.
I got a kick out of the dark humor.
This movie reminded me of the TV show called “Connected”. The more we look, the more we realize how everything is interconnected on this planet.
At the end of the movie, we see on the screen the words “This film is dedicated to making movies with friends.” It definitely looked like they had a blast making the movie together.
Keep watching during the rolling credits for some odd video clips and images.
The low-budget look of the film works perfectly to underscore the low-budget documentary the two characters are working on.
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:
The mysterious movie looks like a fictional story as a feature film, but then it cuts to documentary-style clips where people are interviewed, talking about what they think happened.
Some people will be annoyed by the ambiguous ending.
Some of the visual effects are pretty hokey.
TIPS FOR PARENTS:
Kids will be extremely bored.
Lots of smoking and drinking alcohol.
Profanity, including lots of F-bombs
Talk of pedophilia
Talk of a parole officer
Talk of drugs
Some gory goop
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Something in the Dirt is a new model Under the Silver Lake. Los Angeles again, strange unsolved events, deaths, and strange characters. I recommend this peculiar movie to anyone who wants to watch a mind-blowing film.
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Benson and Moorhead have crafted yet another lo-fi sci-fi masterpiece.
Something in the Dirt has the gritty DIY-vibe of the no-budget world from which it sprang, and is both thought-provoking and crazy-making, just like the mood it presents.
Half mock-doc, half sci-fi two-hander, all bone-dry L.A. satire, Something in the Dirt takes a bemused look at those all too happy to exploit phenomena and each other—with the typical small-scale charm of an Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson project.
Ultimately, Something in the Dirt disappoints for a multitude of reasons, not least of which is the optimism that slowly dissipates as things progress. To call this an ambitious misfire is being polite, as the investment required going in never fully collates with the level of satisfaction audiences expect coming out.
Something in The Dirt is a wild ride that will take one to the limits of reality and test one's patience.
Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson back again with another starring and directing film. “Something in the dirt”. I am a huge fan of these guys and I was excited to see what they would come up after “The Endless” which is a criminally underrated movie. I'm mixed on this. Incredible acting with a once again great script have me invested in what was happening. I also loved the suspense and the mystery of the two characters pasts that they weren’t telling each other. On the flip side since you have to really sell these characters it can get a little slow for some people while all the math and science stuff happens it can be hard to follow at certain sections and it seems to take a long time to get going.
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When a pair of Los Angeles friends/neighbors (actors/directors Aaron Moorehead and Justin Benson) begin investigating a series of bizarre paranormal events in their apartment building, they believe they’re onto unlocking a grand, unified theory of everything, one that’s potentially dangerous but eminently enlightening (and really cool). But, with each “revelation” they come upon, they sink deeper and deeper into a rabbit hole of confusion and chaos that fails to provide them with clear answers and begins to affect their relationship. The result is an aimlessly protracted stream of consciousness exercise that extends into so many areas of allegedly profound exploration and supposed metaphysical significance that the overall narrative comes across like a combination of intellectual **** and navel contemplation writ large, punctuated by pointedly polite insults thrown toward one another about how each of them is wasting his life (talk about irony). While this Independent Spirit Award nominee for the John Cassavettes Award has its share of clever editing, inventive cinematography and moments of genuinely inspired humor, much of the film plays like a collection of half-baked ideas, inside jokes and failed attempts at lamely connecting profound insights that arose between its collaborators over an evening of bong hits. Whatever movie industry clout, filmmaking credibility and cinematic goodwill the directors may have amassed in their previous effort, “The Endless” (2017), they’ve squandered it here with this meandering, unfocused workshop on how not to make a movie. But, then, that’s probably best evidenced in one of the picture’s closing credits, which says that the film is dedicated to friends making movies together – and, based on the results of this offering, it’s readily apparent what that gets you.
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Geeeez after hoping for something to tie everything together i was extremely let down. This movie walked the line of possibly good and possibly terrible the entire movie. Then leaves you completely lost in the end. I want to say terrible but this is something wurst than terrible. A bad movie can be considered terrible, this is like a shiny waste of time.
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Production Company
Rustic Films
Release Date Nov 4, 2022
Duration 1 h 56 m
Rating R
Awards
Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Sundance Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
