By Robert Scucci
| Published
As somebody who absolutely adores documentaries about alien encounters and the supernatural for insincere reasons, I was thrilled when I learned about 2022’s Something in the Dirt, the sci-fi horror comedy that centers on two guys who decide to make their own documentary after experiencing a series of unexplainable events in their run-down Los Angeles apartment.
My biggest complaint, and biggest source of amusement, when it comes to documentaries or docuseries that try to make a compelling case for alien life is how the hosts often rely on excessive Gish galloping to get their point across, thus creating a disjointed narrative that moves at such a rapid pace that it’s physically impossible to fact-check everything they’re spewing out of their mouths.
Something in the Dirt has a considerable amount of fun with this notion as its two primary characters set forth to prove that they’re experiencing a series of supernatural phenomena by documenting their findings, only to lose sight of their sincerity when they realize that they could sensationalize everything they experience and make a small fortune by selling their film.
Levi And John’s Documentary
At first framing itself as a traditional sci-fi horror flick, Something in the Dirt begins with John (Aaron Moorhead) moving into a new apartment building that’s occupied by only one other person, Levi (Justin Benson). John is down on his luck and has a criminal record that limits his options on the career front, forcing him to work bartending and various day-labor gigs. Levi, an aspiring photographer and filmmaker who makes his living charging electric scooters all over Los Angeles, lives alone after a rancorous divorce, and finds himself in John’s good graces after lending him a bunch of furniture as a housewarming gift.
When Levi and John witness a quartz crystal floating and glowing in John’s apartment, they have reason to believe that they’re experiencing a supernatural event. Putting their heads and resources together, they purchase audio and video equipment with the intent of producing a documentary as they try to find an explanation for the gravity-defying crystal that they quickly become obsessed with.
While the two neighbors first approach their documentary with noble intent, Something in the Dirt shifts its narrative to reveal that they’re also trying to fix their financial situations, suggesting that their documentary is coming from a disingenuous place.
The “Behind-The-Scenes” Scenes
Something in the Dirt takes a unique approach in its delivery because of its found footage sequences, which are seen through the perspective of John and Levi’s cameras. The scenes that are shot conventionally through a third-person perspective lead the viewer to believe that they’re witnessing what John and Levi are actually experiencing. However, when their cameras are left rolling after documenting the strange occurrences in their apartment, Something in the Dirt shows their true colors, as they’re seen rehearsing line delivery and prop placement.
As the film progresses, you start to wonder if the third-person sequences are also part of John and Levi’s film, and the line between fact and fiction becomes increasingly blurred as each new finding ends up being more ridiculous than the last.
Additionally, Something in the Dirt features short “interviews” with John and Levi’s many editors who don’t understand what they’re trying to accomplish because the narrative keeps changing, resulting in “creative differences” on a project that’s supposed to hold a certain level of objectivity. As Levi becomes more and more obsessed with the documentary, John learns that he’s a pathological liar who’s reading up on unexplained phenomena that he could shoehorn into their movie. However, as unhinged as Levi becomes in his quest to sell the documentary, he appears to sincerely believe that supernatural forces are at play.
Streaming Something In The Dirt
Something in the Dirt is a disjointed mess, by design, because it forces the viewer to doubt John and Levi’s credibility every step of the way. This narrative framework is effective because it completely undermines any and every documentary you’ve ever seen on the subject. While I’m willing to believe that supernatural documentary filmmakers sincerely believe that they’ve experienced some sort of life-altering, unexplainable phenomenon, Something in the Dirt demonstrates just how quickly a project that’s coming from a genuine place can become corrupted by greed in the quest for a picture deal so they could move units and make a lucrative living by bending, or never fully revealing, the truth.
Never not amusing, and endlessly frustrating in all the right ways, Something in the Dirt is a dark comedy that will forever make you doubt the validity of the claims found in investigative docuseries like Investigation Alien and Ancient Aliens by suggesting that the final product is the result of stretching the truth past the point of no return for the sake of landing a movie deal. And while you may already know that most of these documentaries are full of hot air to begin with, it’s still incredibly satisfying to watch everything fall apart for John and Levi as you try to separate fact from fiction in both the world they live in, and the one they’re creating for their future audience to see.
As of this writing, you can stream Something in the Dirt on Hulu.
