90-second review: Under the Silver Lake alternates between being incredibly compelling and frustratingly confused. It misses the assuredness of director David Robert Mitchell‘s masterpiece film debut It Follows, because he has to spend so much time navigating the tricky world he created. Sometimes he's successful — particularly when he explores the series of elite Hollywood parties surrounding indie-pop band “Jesus and the Brides of Dracula” — and sometimes he gets distracted by the weirdness of it all.
The tone reminds me a lot of Boots Riley's political satire Sorry to Bother You, but unlike that film Under the Silver Lake lacks the point-of-view and narrative clarity to pull it off. In other words, it's underdeveloped. Mitchell has so many ideas — both thematic and cinematic — that he wants to explore, which explains the bloated 2 1/2 hour running time. When he focuses in on the central mystery of aimless conspiracy theorist and professional slacker Sam's (Andrew Garfield) missing neighbor Sarah (Riley Keough), the movie and his vision take shape. But then the potential of the neo-noir fantasy world comes into play and muddies the waters.
It's not all bad though. He makes some genuinely interesting choices that prove he was never interested in making another It Follows. And so much of it is bold and funny with a dry wit that keeps it entertaining. A lot of that is thanks to Garfield's immersive performance that is an almost too-accurate portrayal of a scum bum LA conspiracy theorist. Truthfully, I was never bored with it until it began wrapping up.
Under the Silver Lake is incredibly frustrating because it feels like you can piece together a good movie from what's on-screen. Even then, it's not completely clear what Mitchell is trying to say with it. Is he criticizing Hollywood's misogynistic culture? Or is he more broadly exploring the LA lifestyle? And then there's the more straightforward read of a man coping with a difficult time by wrapping himself up in a conspiracy and mystery that isn't his to solve. Whatever the intention of the movie is, it's unclear. And that'll work for some. You'll either love it or hate it. I'm the rare person in the middle ground.
Where to watch Under the Silver Lake: Streaming for free on Prime Video.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hey! I'm Karl. You can find me on Twitter here. I'm also a Tomatometer-approved critic.
💌 Sign up for our weekly email newsletter with movie recommendations available to stream.
ADVERTISEMENT
No Other Land follows a Palestinian activist as he documents the destruction of his community… Read More
TIFF 2024 | The Life of Chuck follows an enigmatic man starting as a surrealist… Read More
A pair of young Mormon missionaries find themselves at the center of a sinister plot… Read More
Moving back and forth in their history, We Live In Time follows a couple through… Read More
While it begins as a cat-and-mouse thriller, Strange Darling evolves (and genre-bends) into a psychological… Read More
Dìdi is an autobiographical romp through the life of a shy 13-year-old Taiwanese-American as he… Read More
Leave a Comment