New to home video in the UK this week is the low-budget sci-fi movie, Something in the Dirt. The film – directed by and starring Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead – follows two neighbours who find themselves investigating paranormal phenomena.
In the movie, Levi Danube is a bar tender who moves into a new house in Los Angeles. On the first day of his tenancy, Levi meets his next-door neighbour, John Daniels, and the two quickly get into a conversation.
During the course of that conversation, John becomes aware that Levi has little possessions, so offers to lend him some furniture for his new home. Levi gratefully accepts, and the next day they move some of John’s unused furniture into Levi’s house.
As John is getting ready to leave the house he witnesses an unusual incident in the living room, which he instantly believes is a ghost. A few moments later, Levi witnesses the same phenomena, and it’s not long before both men believe they have seen something truly unique in Levi’s home.
Keen to learn more about this mysterious incident, the pair begin to document their encounter. Over the days and weeks that follow, they then begin to speculate about the what may or may not be taking place before their eyes, be it supernatural or extra-terrestrial.
Conceived during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and filmed over the space of a year with a small budget and an even smaller cast, Something in the Dirt is a fascinating sci-fi picture, which is part mockumentary, and part stoner film. The movie centres around two lead characters, and their attempts to prove the existence of something otherworldly, and is largely a film about symbolism, hidden meanings, truths, and realities.
Some of the film is very insightful, other parts of it are quite comical, but all of it is thoroughly engaging. The picture spends the majority of its time with Levi and John as they delve deeper into a mystery that might not have a solution, and all of it is fascinating to watch.
As the story unfolds, information is revealed about the characters, various conspiracy theories are proposed about the strange phenomena, and there is a lot of conversation and paranoid discussions to get lost in. Thankfully, due to the way the story is told, and way in which the film is presented, none of it feels too dense or confusing.
There is a relaxed feel to the way in which the central characters converse, and for the most part the whole thing plays like two drunks shooting the breeze about life, the universe, and everything in between. As such, it is easy to watch and get caught up in, and there are some thought-provoking ideas along the way, which highlight the strange times we currently linhabit.
The film also offers up one or two darker moments, a little suspense and tension, and some decent special effects. For a film that largely takes place in one location, it is surprisingly interesting to watch and directors/lead actors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead steer the whole film to success.
If you’re into sci-fi stories, discussions about the universe, or you simply want to watch a well-executed movie, Something in the Dirt is available to buy on Blu-ray or DVD now.
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