‘Turn It Up!’ Review: Cosmic Horror/Comedy Mostly Hits The Right Notes [Tribeca]
“Chaos is movement.”
There’s a powerful connection between music and horror, whether it’s the pageantry that certain bands adopt that’s evocative of the genre, the casting of music legends in horror films, or the use of songs as some form of black magic ritual. There’s an increasing number of music-based horror films that blur the lines between these two worlds. Rob Zombie’s The Lords of Salem, Deathgasm, Studio 666, Hellbender, and Green Room all go in very different directions, yet they all touch upon music’s intrinsic ties to dark, unexplainable phenomena. Sam Scott’s Turn it Up! is a part of the same jam session. It’s a meditation on the power of sound and how the right combination of tones and melodies can be such a powerful experience that it generates a cosmic vibration that’s able to tear through reality.
Turn it Up! makes its case right from the jump, then conjures mounting dread as the band’s performance draws closer to this inevitable sonic apocalypse. It successfully hits these notes, but then uses them to play a completely original song that subverts expectations. All this pushes Turn it Up! in an exciting, unexpected direction that functions as a powerful parable about the hoops artists need to jump through in order to find success, even if that means losing their souls — figuratively and literally — in the process.
There are so many stories about the cost of fame and whether a quick fix to superstardom is ever worth it. It’s the perfect Faustian tale of temptation, one that’s particularly relevant in an influencer-forward world where there’s never been greater pressure to be trending. AC (Justine Nelson), the frontwoman of a flailing indie rock band, is a deeply repressed individual on the brink of shattering. She’s confronted with apathy and failure, making it all the harder to pine for a passion that seems to be slipping out of her grasp. Turn It Up! excels at tapping into the tedium and struggles of being in a floundering indie band on tour. It adeptly uses this as the backdrop for something much bigger.
For someone who never gets a break, AC’s sudden chance to escape from this mundanity hits like a ton of bricks. Her band discovers a special sound with paranormal properties, which leads to them being duped into believing that they’re the unique voice of a generation. This turns into an eerie exercise that’s designed to trigger something otherworldly as they “enter the next phase of quadraphonic entitlement.” It’s “Beyond the Black Metal Rainbow,” in a nutshell. AC’s tinnitus also makes her a special figure, uniquely equipped to handle this paranormal phenomenon. Something that’s always been treated like a deterrent for AC could now be the key to saving the world.
Turn it Up! showcases a really distinct voice from writer/director Sam Scott that makes for a promising directorial feature debut. There’s such a creative, retro DIY quality to the film that it captures a punk-rock EC Comics aesthetic. It gives an already-entertaining film even more personality and an authentic anarchic energy. There are moments when Turn it Up! feels like if John Carpenter had directed Scott Pilgrim.
There’s a darkness that hangs over Turn it Up!, but it’s a film that’s filled with a surprising amount of levity. There’s a deeply affable chemistry between the band members that’s bolstered by a playful sense of humor with comedy that lands more than it doesn’t. To this point, Turn it Up! definitely prioritizes its comedy over its horror, which may leave some people disappointed. It’s still a balance that works, even if many of the laughs stem from the grander ineptitude of the shadowy government organization that tries to pull the strings here.
Turn it Up! is a breezy, effortless watch at 91 minutes. That being said, it’s guilty of spending a little too much time with its characters just messing around in the studio. It’s material that’s fun but ultimately spins its wheels. It takes too long for Turn it Up! to build to its big climax, and it’s too far a walk for such a short payoff. The film’s final act would have been more effective as the second act, with more mayhem to follow. Turn it Up! arguably leaves the party just as things are getting interesting, and it would benefit from an encore.
Nevertheless, Turn it Up! Is a fun spin on cosmic horror that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still has something to say. It’s a solid statement piece from debut filmmaker Sam Scott, albeit one that’s still slightly lacking in substance. Think of it as a great EP that doesn’t quite cut it as an LP, but the foundation is there. Turn it Up! is hopefully a formative stepping stone to even more ambitious genre fare from Scott. In the meantime, it’s just nice to get lost in the noise even if there is occasionally some frustrating feedback.
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Turn It Up!
Summary
Sam Scott’s Turn It Up! is a fun-but-flawed directorial debut that toes the line between indie band mumblecore comedy and existential cosmic horror spectacle.
Categorized:Festival Coverage Reviews