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9

LegitSaltFeb 28, 2020

Under the Silver Lake is nothing short of an enigma, raising more questions during its runtime than any reasonably timed movie could ever hope to answer. At first glance, Under the Silver Lake may seem to be a messy spew of paranoia andUnder the Silver Lake is nothing short of an enigma, raising more questions during its runtime than any reasonably timed movie could ever hope to answer. At first glance, Under the Silver Lake may seem to be a messy spew of paranoia and conspiracy loosely held together by a pointless search for a missing girl; however, in many ways, the movie is so much more than that. The world that the film inhabits is one of constant intrigue, mystery, and misdirection. Set in a disillusioned Los Angelos, the movie follows Sam's (Andrew Garfield) journey to gain closure regarding his short interaction with a girl named Sara (Riley Keough). The film is from the perspective of Sam, an unemployed 30-year old on the verge of being evicted. As such, it only provides a limited view of the world which Under the Silver Lake encompasses, one filled with secret societies, rampant killers, and lavish parties. The fact that these things are never fully explained to the audience is not a fault as much as it is a product of the film being told through Sam's eyes. And just as Sam begins to come into a greater understanding of the world's inner-workings, the film ends. The movie is crafted to give the viewer a distant feeling of being lost, to emulate the sensation of being out of place in a greater bustling society.

Aside from the film's mystifying structure, it is also technically just as charming and commendable. From the precision level cinematography to the ever-looming score, the film is constantly reminding the viewer just how good movies can get. There is so much care and effort put into the film's presentation that even after four or five viewings, I still find myself becoming more consumed by the world of the film. The movie may be almost 2.5 hours, but at no time does the viewer ever feel bored or dragged along. It is the fine details, such as single frames of color and sticky notes with seemingly random symbols, that are responsible for the film's longevity. Little things that might initially pass unnoticed, but which get the viewer thinking more about the film's grandiose scope and content. It is easy to see the film's inspirations, most notable the film-noir genre, but the small modern spins that the movie offers are what sets it apart from its contemporaries. The soundtrack by Disasterpeace is one of the best movie soundtracks ever, comprised of deep synths and haunting wind instruments and bleeds through into every aspect of the scene, reminding the audience just how alone and unaware they are. Another notable element of the film is the costume design, filled with little kernels of character and intrigue. The costume design mixed with the set design is what allows for the worldbuilding to be as strong as it is. They define the scope and setting of the film without explicitly stating anything.

Under the Silver Lake is overflowing with enigmas that will never be solved, and they needn't be. The film is a reflection of the modern world and its excess of ideas, information, and conspiracy, most of which lead nowhere. One common complaint about the movie is that it introduces so many concepts, ideas, and plot threads and doesn't ever fully realize them. I feel that this is a purposeful choice done to express the film's purview of reality - in real life, we meet many people and learn many things that we don't fully understand, but this doesn't mean that we have experienced a disappointing life. Under the Silver Lake is a deconstruction of modern society, critiquing celebrity culture, mass media marketing, pop music, cultural relevancy, and so much more. While what it has to say may be obfuscated or not intuitively obvious, it doesn't matter, since this is not the meat of the film or where its value comes from. The film may not be the best fit for every viewer, but for those who enjoy it, Under the Silver Lake is a movie unlike any other, bending genres, redefining expectations, and prioritizing art and content over box office success. If you can watch it, I recommend that you do, and go in with an open mind as you will certainly not expect what you get, and you may end up finding something altogether new and enjoyable.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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3

MindurbidnissJun 19, 2021

Pretense is the name of the game with this film. It has moments of intrigue but isn't interesting. It's biggest offense is over staying it's welcome at 2 1/2 hours. It's just too damn long to convey such a menial plot

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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10

CrazyStupidJakeJul 30, 2019

To say I was anticipating this film would be a massive understatement. I wanted to wait to see it in theaters but I had another 4 months to go and I couldn’t hold out any longer so I streamed it so long ago. I will definitely be rewatchingTo say I was anticipating this film would be a massive understatement. I wanted to wait to see it in theaters but I had another 4 months to go and I couldn’t hold out any longer so I streamed it so long ago. I will definitely be rewatching this over-and-over again in the coming months so I won’t try to capture all my feelings right now but I pretty much loved every single aspect of Under the Silver Lake. Andew Garfield’s performance and character are very different than I was expecting but they were fantastic. The overall style and tone of this film is so deliberate, creative, and wonderful to engage in. Even though it gets very dark at times, the film always manages to feel almost upbeat in its presentation. The constant sense of paranoia helps create the unique atmosphere that’s captured beautifully for the entire runtime. Funny, creepy, confusing, exciting, and just entertaining as hell in every single moment. Everything about this worked for me and I’m probably going to watch it again in a few days because I can’t stop thinking about it. Grade: A+… Expand

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9

RobwinzMay 1, 2020

Under The Silver Lake is an underrated masterpiece, the movie has got a really incredible plot with some amazing performances from such characters as Sam (Andrew Garfield) and Sarah (Riley Keough) and I'll even say when Topher GracesUnder The Silver Lake is an underrated masterpiece, the movie has got a really incredible plot with some amazing performances from such characters as Sam (Andrew Garfield) and Sarah (Riley Keough) and I'll even say when Topher Graces character shows up during this movie he gives a really good performance. Also, the movie has got some outstandingly smooth camera work from start to finish during this movie. Finally, it's got some really strong bloody and brutal fight scenes throughout this movie, which I honestly thought made the movie a little bit better then it already was but overall, it's an amazing underrated movie and if you haven't watched it already, what are you doing you need to watch it, it's honestly worth the watch.… Expand

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3

Bertaut1Apr 19, 2019

Just like Mulholland Drive. Except really, really awful

Under the Silver Lake is a pretentious, self-indulgent, convoluted, overlong mess. Positioning itself as equal parts neo-noir and genre subversion, it's essentially a cross betweenJust like Mulholland Drive. Except really, really awful

Under the Silver Lake is a pretentious, self-indulgent, convoluted, overlong mess. Positioning itself as equal parts neo-noir and genre subversion, it's essentially a cross between David Lynch's Mulholland Dr. (2001) and Thomas Pynchon's Inherent Vice (2009). With the major difference being that it's absolutely, unrelentingly terrible. A mystery noir, it's also at pains to undermine and critique many of the genre's most recognisable tropes. Relocating the detective stories of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett to the chaotic postmodern era of cognitive semiotics where the relationship between signifier and signified is so arbitrary that meaning-making itself has become a protean commodity, it's a self-important piece of garbage. Fundamentally misogynistic, it's at least 45 minutes too long, with an unfocused narrative, poorly thought-out metaphors, and an insipid protagonist.

Set in contemporary LA, Under the Silver Lake follows Sam (Andrew Garfield), a 33-year-old man-child with no job, no ambition, and no direction, as he attempts to track down Sarah (Riley Keough), a women he recently met, and instantly fell in love with. His odyssey will take him to the darkest corners of LA, and will involve, amongst other things, a hipster pirate, secret codes hidden in everyday objects, a glam rock band, a dog murderer, a conspiracy theorist comic book writer (Patrick Fischler), the Hobo Code, a vast network of underground tunnels, an actual literal homeless king (David Yow), a helpful coyote, an unhelpful skunk, an escort agency staffed by former child-stars, a balloon dancer (Grace Van Patten), a walled-off Xanadu-like mansion, a mysterious songwriter (Jeremy Bobb) with a strange claim, a female serial killer who enters men's apartments wearing nothing but an owl mask, and a New Age cult lead by super-wealthy men.

Perhaps the most immediately obvious aspect of Silver Lake is that the score and cinematography are both extremely retro, serving to situate the film firmly in the formal styles of yesterday. Richard Vreeland's score is a solid imitation of Franz Waxman and Bernard Herrmann, whilst Mike Gioulakis's photography, with its overly dramatic camera movements and crash zooms that seem to come out of nowhere, recalls the work of Robert Burks and Sam Leavitt.

Thematically, the film is all over the place. Positing that pop culture has profound hidden meaning (in direct contrast to most cultural-anthropological thinking), the film is so imprecise and scattered that it's impossible to tell if Mitchell actually buys into the notion that schizophrenic conspiracies are all around us or if he's being facetious. And yes, I understand what he's doing - presenting the film from the point of view of a pop culture-saturated Millennial. However, Oliver Stone did a far better job of depicting a similarly media-soaked shortened-attention span over 20 years ago with Natural Born Killers (1994).

The most troubling thing about the film, however, is how it depicts women. Yes, it's partly about the male gaze and how Hollywood has a track record of objectifying women, especially in films of this nature, so a degree of objectification is necessary. But Mitchell does it to the point where critique becomes content - he doesn't need six women (only two of whom are even given names) to throw themselves at Sam to adequately deconstruct the trope. His intentions may be noble, but he's unable to distinguish between replication and repudiation. All the best intentions in the world don't alter the fact that the women in the film are wallpaper. So all the unnecessary topless shots aren't exploitative you see, because irony!!

And as for Sam's quest to find Sarah? Whereas in Mulholland Drive, Lynch creates a beautiful and complex tapestry where everything has precise meaning, no wasted motion, no weirdness simply for weirdness sake. In Silver Lake, on the other hand, Mitchell just lobs anything and everything at the viewer whether it's significant or not, resulting in a narrative so convoluted that any meaning it may have becomes subsumed amongst self-important pretension.

Under the Silver Lake is a tiresome, self-important, overlong, intellectually juvenile mess. If Mitchell actually has anything to say, it's lost within a painfully dull and self-indulgent plot. Allowed to play relatively unsupervised in the sandbox, the results are disastrous; a swollen, self-admiring film that can't follow through on anything, thematically or narratively, a film that is totally and completely in love with itself.… Expand

7 of 8 users found this helpful71

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0

marco34laApr 21, 2019

Sorry, this movie was a god-awful mess. despite a convincing and inspired performance by garfeld... the movie is just one big bore. the genre says comedy but it was trying to be film noir and had some moments, but not enough to keep me in mySorry, this movie was a god-awful mess. despite a convincing and inspired performance by garfeld... the movie is just one big bore. the genre says comedy but it was trying to be film noir and had some moments, but not enough to keep me in my seat for 2 hrs and 19 mins.… Expand

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

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2

Lambo442Jun 30, 2019

Could be the worst film ever made. Starts off kind of promising and disturbing but quickly becomes so convoluted, nonsensical and pretentious that it's almost like the Director is making a bad film on purpose. A real surprise after 'ItCould be the worst film ever made. Starts off kind of promising and disturbing but quickly becomes so convoluted, nonsensical and pretentious that it's almost like the Director is making a bad film on purpose. A real surprise after 'It follows.' I gave it one point because somehow it managed to keep me watching it until the end (just curious to see how stupid it could get) and another point because at least Mitchell tried to do something surreal and unique. I would actually recommend this film, despite my score, just so you can have a laugh.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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8

AMFcriticApr 19, 2019

David Robert Mitchell finish an almost perfect movie, this mystery neo-noir follows the deeper parts of a broken society and makes the spectator empathize with the protagonist and his goal.
Excentric and raw as funny and intriguing.
85 / 100

1 of 7 users found this helpful16

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10

CalvinCrackApr 20, 2019

I saw it with 3 people and we all loved it. This movie goes all in on its own insanity. I applaud the filmmakers and producers for their bravery to make this a reality. There are scenes that you will see nowhere else and jokes so insularI saw it with 3 people and we all loved it. This movie goes all in on its own insanity. I applaud the filmmakers and producers for their bravery to make this a reality. There are scenes that you will see nowhere else and jokes so insular to the movie’s logic that they could not have been conceived before that scene was being written. It makes you feel along for the ride in that way. But just when you think it’s all being made up one scene at a time, you’ll get a clue that reminds you this is actually all a well thought out tapestry even if you suspect that you can never fully explain it using ordinary logic.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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9

bfoore90Aug 7, 2019

Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, Under The Silver Lake is incredibly vague. Thats just putting it mildly, Andrew Garfield plays a lost 33 year old whose unemployed wandering aimlessly throughout life until he meets a neighborWritten and directed by David Robert Mitchell, Under The Silver Lake is incredibly vague. Thats just putting it mildly, Andrew Garfield plays a lost 33 year old whose unemployed wandering aimlessly throughout life until he meets a neighbor whom then disappears, sending him on a quest to solve the mystery of where she went. Again, this is an incredibly vague film and I had to do additional research to further understand it. With that being said, i enjoyed the film. Its a hypnotic noir experience if you can get past the vague message… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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8

thomaslambApr 5, 2021

At last... A refreshing movie experience. A comically intriguing, psychedelic trip!