Under the Silver Lake (2018)

Director: David Robert Mitchell
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, Topher Grace
Runtime: 139 minutes

Synopsis: A young man's life takes a weird turn when his neighbor mysteriously disappears.

• Performances: 9/10

Why? Andrew Garfield has had an already rich career, starring in films like "The Social Network" or "Hacksaw Ridge". His performance in "Under the Silver Lake", however, is the one that defined him as one of Hollywood's greatest growing talents for me. He showed an entirely new face by pulling a performance that not a lot of people could've gotten right, and was definitely one of the many highlights of the film. The rest of the cast includes names such as Riley Keough (another emerging talent) and Topher Grace who both did an excellent job despite not getting a lot of screentime.  

• Screenplay: 9/10

Why? By far one of this year's weirdest movies. And the more I think about it, the more I love it. "Under the Silver Lake" is a film filled with symbolism and small details that require a lot of attention and maybe more than one viewing to catch, all the while providing a fun, interesting, and most of all odd journey with a fascinating and down to earth protagonist. Without getting into a lot of details (because trust me, it's best enjoyed if you watch it not knowing anything about it), it kept me invested from start to finish and left me thinking about it for hours after the credits started rolling. Nevertheless, I have to say that this is definitely not a film you pop up when you have a couple of hours to kill, and it's definitely not the accessible crowdpleaser "It Follows" turned out to be, but if you're looking for a film that fits the description I just supplied, then "Under the Silver Lake" is the movie for you.

• Costumes/Makeup: 8/10

Why? Weird, like everything else in the movie, but not in a pretentious way. The costumes alone gave life to certain characters and played a big part in delivering some of the film's symbolism.

• Editing: 9/10

Why? Despite a runtime of more than 130 minutes, I was never bored for a second. Every single shot had its place and importance in the final product.

• Cinematography: 8/10

Why? Aside from its great screenplay, the movie is also extremely pleasing to look at. It contains a lot of beautiful looking shots topped with lovely and colorful set designs.

• Score/Soundtrack: 9/10

Why? Smart. It played an integral part in the narrative that had me smiling more than once.

FINAL GRADE: 9/10