Good afternoon, House of Madness residents:
"It's not you, it's me". Whether you've been on the receiving end, or have been the conveyor of said phrase, there's one thing for certain: it was an awkward conversation. Just how awkward depends on how long the relationship lasted, and how enamored the break-up victim was with the party looking for a fresh start, and if such a plan is attempted to be carried out in public, let's just say some people are in for some free entertainment. Personally, I've never used this to get myself out of a longterm relationship, but now that I'm in a position of feeling trapped with no vision of a possible future together, I'm playing that card now. When it comes to directing duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, our relationship goes back to 2012's "Resolution" which I had mixed feelings for, followed up by 2014's "Spring", 2017's "The Endless", and now "Something in the Dirt". Each film has been received quite well by the masses, yet every time I give one a go, I walk away disappointed with a feeling of almost pretentious resentment. With all the positive feedback their films seem to receive, I really believe it's a simple case of lust, rather than love.
"Something in the Dirt" kicks off with John (Aaron Moorehead) and Levi (Justin Benson), two neighbours barely scraping by in life that witness an unexplained phenomena in Levi's apartment. What begins as a simple plan to document the phenomena on film in order to sell their footage and get rich, turns into them trying to solve what's behind the mystery appearing before their eyes, transforming them into conspiracy theorists searching for aliens and cults. As the film trudges on, we're left anticipating a reveal that never emerges, but are instead served an allegory which left me feeling duped and unsatisfied, rather than enlightened and fascinated. With an almost two hour run-time to boot, it felt as if the film not only took the long way to make an unsatisfying point, but also made the long journey to get there feel pointless and unnecessary. In film, there's a slow-burn, and then there's an agonizingly lethargic burn; I don't think you have to guess which category I place this movie in.
Considering I wasn't a big fan of any of Benson and Moorhead's previous projects, I suppose I truly have no one to blame for my disappointment but myself at this point; the style and narrative they've been pretty consistent with in each film just isn't my cup of tea, and that's ok. To "Something in the Dirt" and all of its director's predecessors, it's been a long road, but I think it's time we part ways; please believe me when I say: "It's not you, it's me".........Probably.
Madness Meter: 4.9/10
NB
