ep330: Something in the Dirt (2022)

SOMETHING IN THE DIRT, the latest mindbender from directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, premiered at Sundance all the way back at the end of January. So, naturally, we’re finally posting our review mid-March! (We’re very busy and important people, OK?) The film is ostensibly about two neighbors who experience a supernatural phenomenon in one of their apartments shortly after they meet for the first time, and decide to team up to try to find the meaning behind this close encounter. It’s a deceptively simple setup but, if you are familiar with Moorhead’s and Benson’s previous work, it should come as no surprise that that basic plot description barely breaks the surface of this deep, winding rabbit hole of a film. The movie works best the less you know going into it so, in this review, the Video Monsters keep things as spoiler-free as possible for most of the episode before we hit the spoiler wall. Topics discussed by Nathan, Eric, and Dan include how this film compares with other pandemic productions; the sly humor and topical social commentary; the exciting, playful way the film weaves in its narrative twists and turns to constantly shift the viewer’s perspective, and how this film possibly connects to the other entries in the ever-expanding Benson/Moorhead cosmic shared universe. So grab your speargun, fire another editor, and meet us at Ye Rustic Inn. It’s time for us to dig up SOMETHING IN THE DIRT. If you enjoyed this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode! Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons