Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are two of the most interesting filmmakers working today. The pair, now onto their fifth feature film, have made a name for themselves as being masters at achieving intellectually and visually stimulating projects on shoe-string budgets. Filmmakers in the truest form, Benson and Moorhead have a reputation for being extremely hands-on with their work and Something in the Dirt is no exception. As well as directing and starring, they both undertake a further several roles. Both had a hand in the editing process; Moorhead led the cinematography with Benson responsible for the script to name just a handful of their duties. Their latest production, Something in the Dirt was devised and shot during the pandemic with the most skeleton of crews, some segments captured with only Benson, Moorhead, and frequent collaborator David Lawson Jr. on set.
Filming primarily within Benson’s apartment, Something in the Dirt follows two tenants as they begin to document the strange phenomena occurring in their building. This being a film by Benson and Moorhead, the bizarre events are not simple to explain and they have once more created a movie that will exercise your brain cells. It’s not that you need a degree in philosophy or physics to comprehend what is going on (though I’m sure that helps), but rather that the two have a way of creating stories that challenge one’s mind by making it look at things in different ways. This stretching of the grey matter recalibrates the mind to a different frequency, allowing it to resonate at the same frequency from which Benson and Moorhead are broadcasting from. It all boils down to the expected brain-ache inducing story that the two have become renowned for, but it’s a welcome form of stimulation, especially given the last couple of years of brain rot and fatigue that most of the world has experienced in some way or another.
Something in the Dirt reveals its story within a documentary format, but not a conventional one. Lines blur between fact and fiction as Levi (Benson) and John (Moorhead) mix in real footage with reenactments, leaving the viewer at a loss as to which portions are true and which are false. It’s the perfect device to deliver the narrative, as a key theme hones in on media consumption and how blindly people will believe what they see or are told. It’s also an entirely relevant topic to explore when you consider the climate of the world and how factions have formed based on the opinions of some distant person on the internet. We are living in scary times where fake news gets more air-time than real; Something in the Air captures this feeling of paranoia and unease perfectly.
Despite being primarily filmed within the setting of Levi’s place, Benson and Moorhead find plenty of opportunities to venture outside of the property. The main technique utilised is through the use of stock footage, graphics, and internet search results which play alongside Levi and John’s theorising about the phenomena they encounter. These sequences help break up the cabin fever of the indoors setting, presenting a distraction from the familiar four walls. They also offer up clues to what is happening as well as some little nods to the team’s back catalogue. Pre-existing fans of the worlds created by Benson and Moorhead will love playing spot the reference, everything working together to further push the idea that at least a few of their stories exist within the same universe.
After being firmly rooted behind the camera for their last venture, Synchronic, it’s great to have both Benson and Moorhead back in front. The last time they were on screen together was in 2017’sThe Endless where they played brothers (helpfully called Justin and Aaron). Their off-screen bond helped sell the brother aspect and so it’s interesting to see them here as they play mere acquaintances. Outside of sharing a building and experiencing this strange event together, it’s unlikely that Levi and John would ever cross paths. Initially they form a cordial friendship, but as the weirdness intensifies, the pair have opposing views about how to tackle it and their line of communication falls apart.
Given how close Benson and Moorhead are, it feels odd to see them at war with one another on screen, and yet they sell the distance, proving that their acting abilities reach beyond the simple necessity of them being in the right place at the right time. The script has been meticulously written with precision and thought focussed onto each and every word. So strong is the dialogue that at several points it feels improvised. Over the course of their documentary filming, Levi and John discuss how certain shots look, what the title should be etc., and it’s mind-boggling to know that they were all scripted as the writing and delivery are so naturalistic.
In the lead up to watching Something in the Dirt, whenever I heard the title, Nirvana’s ‘Something in the Way’ instantly popped into my head. It’s obviously down to the similarities between the two titles and yet during the viewing more connections began to form thanks to the grungey aesthetics (provided in part by Ariel Vida’s production design) and a strange nostalgia for the mid-nineties that it stirred within. Another key component is the look of Levi, with his bleached blonde, long surfer-like hair, and nonchalant attitude, Benson channels the late Nirvana frontman. There’s also something about the mood and atmosphere on screen that captures that dark and foreboding tone that the Nirvana song elicits.
Having five great films is a struggle for most directors, and to have a five film run as strong as what Benson and Moorhead have is almost unheard of, and yet Something in the Dirt is another stroke of genius for the duo. Further proof that the pair are two of the most exciting artists currently working with the medium of film. Their projects continually push the boundary of budget, convention, and ideas connecting with audiences on a level not often experienced. With Something in the Dirt yet another stellar creation from them, excitement for the forthcoming Moon Knight series to which they are attached is starting to soar.
Something in the Dirt
Summary
Another solid and remarkable piece of art from two of the most consistent filmmakers working.
Something in the Dirt was reviewed at Sundance 2022. Something in the Dirt arrives in select UK cinemas on Friday 4th November. Something in the Dirt is available on Blu-Ray and DVD on Monday 5th December.
