SOMETHING IN THE DIRT is a sci-fi horror movie by Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead. Let me preface this entire review by saying that I love their style and stories. I seem to always enjoy their movies and find that I’m unable to really let them go.
So yeah, it’s safe to say that I’m a fan of this filmmaker duo. If you are too, you’ll definitely want to watch their latest production.
Making a sci-fi horror movie and keeping it simple is no small feat. Especially when doing a low-budget production where it’s all about making it seem both homemade and high quality. However, Something in the Dirt is very homemade and still has a very high production quality.
It’s made by professional filmmakers who have worked with low-budget before, which is why the result is still so strong.
The simple premise of having two neighbors John (Aaron Moorhead) and Levi (Justin Benson) witness a supernatural event in their Los Angeles apartment building, is a stroke of pure genius. The two neighbors-turned-friends quickly realize that this is their shot at fame and fortune.
That’s why they begin documenting this paranormal event. As it turns out, this project is not without dangers. Both in regards to the strange phenomena (be it supernatural or paranormal) and their relationship.
In many ways, Something in the Dirt is a return to their roots; Low-budget and very much a DIY project built on a desire to create interesting and intriguing movies. This one also succeeds as such, but it’s not their strongest.
What I did really enjoy about it still, was the layer of meta. The movie is shot like a documentary. Complete with commenting on how things evolved – and where it went wrong – along the way.
In that sense, it’s a very meta take on sci-fi horror and all those documentaries based on true stories. Even a show like Unsolved Mysteries is a relevant reference. But make no mistake, it is definitely a sci-fi horror movie!
Watch Something in the Dirt in theaters
As already mentioned, this movie comes from the filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. They’ve co-directed the movie which was written by Justin Benson. If you’re not familiar with them as filmmakers, then be sure to check out movies like Spring (2014) and The Endless (2017).
They’ve also worked on a few series in recent years, so you may have already watched projects they’ve directed. These include Archive 81 on Netflix, The Twilight Zone, and also the Marvel series Moon Knight and the upcoming first episode of Loki season 2.
After an initial theatrical release in both the US and the UK, Something in the Dirt will be on Digital Download from November 28, and finally on Blu-ray from December 5, 2022.
I would give Something in the Dirt a strong 3½ out of 5, but I can’t quite push it up to four. It’s a tad too long and slow for that. However, I would absolutely recommend watching this latest sci-fi horror story from the filmmaker duo. Also, make sure you check out their previous films.
Something In The Dirt will be in UK & US theaters from November 4, 2022.
