Under the Silver Lake (2018)

October Challenge Day 20

I had to sit and think about this film for several days. Several days - and still it lingers. I have A LOT of thoughts on this film and I'm going to summarize. 

Let's take a look at:

Under the Silver Lake

Here we have a young man, who, after watching a young woman at the apartment complex pool, discovers she has disappeared the next day and his obsession in understanding what happened to her, sends him down a rabbit hole. 

Conspiracy theory, cults, and more GALORE: commence!

This film, while being a mind meltdown, is also visually stunning! There is So Much going on in the background. Also, this young man here - who embodies every dude I would hit on in a bar, pinball arcade, small indie band venue - the Converse shoes and ratty shirts get me every time - is phenomenal (mesmerizing?) in this film. 

And *that* took me down my own rabbit hole. 

He's also an idiot. Here is where it was my turn to spiral out of a control. 

I couldn't shake the feeling that he was a representation of useless men. Hear me out. The men who, when their partners say "Please help me get ready for this party we're hosting in the yard" they instead reorganize the garage or the basement. They do absolutely pointless stuff and are, overall all, totally unhelpful and actually a hindrance in their partner's life. And they feed off of that....

Which is why, when I saw this guy and was all "Oh look, he's my type" - it made me question EVERYTHING for a long time. 

So he's honestly looking for this missing woman but he's also ignoring everything else in his life, and he gets more and more chaotic and out-of-control, moving from woman to woman for stability, as the film progresses. Which was giving me non stop anxiety.

Fascinating film. Easy argued that it's not "horror" per se but it's certainly a crime thriller with a lot of layers in-between. That *thing* in the woods still upsets me.

 

This film reminded me of a bonkers conspiracy theory that I totally made up in my head years ago, about Sigmund Freud being Jack the Ripper and my goodness, how this entertains me and others when I dish it out. Like my own self-made conspiracy theory, this film is feral, unreal, wildly visceral, and oddly makes sense sometimes.

Watch this film alone. Preferably in a closet or kitchen cupboard. Beware of cults. Pairs with cigarettes, edibles, and cheep beer. Be prepared to not have all the answers at the end.

I watched this film on HBO or use the Find It! Watch It! links on Horror Habit's side bar to see where else you can watch this profound feature.