Film Review: Under the Silver Lake

One of the plot turns in Under the Silver Lake occurs when the main character combines a bracelet, a prize from a cereal box and the first issue of Nintendo Power magazine. Even in the context of a world where everything is connected and the main character is utterly obsessed with codes and secrets, it makes no goddamn sense. The reveal speaks to the significant flaws in David Robert Mitchell’s third feature: nothing makes sense and the film gives viewers little reason to care about any of it.

The film is a Lynchian neo-noir set in the titular hipster enclave in Los Angeles. Andrew Garfield plays Sam, a listless conspiracy theorist and stoner who’s five days out from being evicted. When new neighbor Sarah (Riley Keough) goes missing, he drops everything and goes on a meandering journey to find the truth. The result says…something about Hollywood, I guess.

Creating such an obvious genre pastiche works if the audience cares about the characters. Mitchell’s own 2014 film It Follows ticks off nearly every horror trope imaginable, but the writing, visuals and acting make it far more than the sum of its parts.

Instead, Silver ultimately feels like it’s running down a list of tropes every Los Angeles-set noir must fulfill. Shaggy, unkempt detective type who is quite happy weed is legal now? Andrew Garfield plays the part almost too well. The visual contrast between night and day that is supposed to “say” something about the city? Yup. A lush orchestral score that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Hitchcock film? Richard Vreeland has you covered. Femme fatale who sets our hero on his journey? Riley Keough shows up for like 20 minutes.

Silver’s pieces work wonders. The film is yet another showcase for Mitchell’s visual inventiveness and mastery, as well as Vreeland’s musical chops. Garfield turns in what could be a career-best performance as the lynchpin of the piece and the supporting cast puts in great work.

It never comes together because the plot falls apart the moment it starts. The film never gives us a reason to care about Sarah or Sam and the journey they both undertake. The film leads us on a two hour, twenty-minute quest across Los Angeles and the final reveal is something undeserving of the sheer bonkers film-making that comes before it.

Final score: 6.7/10