FilmSnobReviews

Title: Something in the Dirt
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Directors: Justin Benson & Aaron Moorehead
Starring: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorehead, Sarah Adina Smith
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins

What It Is: John (Benson) and Levi (Moorehead) are neighbors who witness a supernatural event. They begin to delve into who or what is causing the issue. As the layers unfold they’ll discover a bevvy of supernatural occurrences. As they look into those even more thing begin to unravel. But the skeletons in each of their closets begin to creep their ugly heads around. Causing suspicion and paranoia in both of them.

What We Think: I love Benson and Moorehead. Legit nicest dudes. Check out our interview about their previous film Synchronic on our YouTube for proof. This film is really good, but it doesn’t stack up against their other efforts. I think Benson got lost in writing the labyrinth of a script. It twist and turns, tangles and unravels in ways that sometimes work and sometimes don’t. Both of them are still solid behind the camera and in front of it. Their two too talented individuals. Likewise the runtime here is…inflated. I think slicing ten or fifteen off of this might’ve made a different in the structure and pacing. Overall this is a film that works more often than it doesn’t.

Our Grade: B-, Not the strongest effort from the boys. Good enough to be worth your time. Anytime these two get together and make something you know at the very least it’ll be a worthwhile endeavor. That this one is perhaps their most ambitious project yet makes it a stronger hit or miss prospect. Certainly it brings it in terms of having a unique and unpredictable plot. This isn’t something that any director (duo or otherwise) can claim. For taking a shot, even if it doesn’t always hit them this one earns a little bit of your time.