Dir. Gaelan Connell (2024)
A 90's rock band comes together for one last attempt to remain relevant, collaborating with a mysterious producer at a secluded chateau in France.
The creative process is a beast unlike any other, tormenting yet more rewarding than anything else in life when it comes together. It's the coming together that is the struggle, though, the piece that never comes together... until it does. I pump out reviews for this site like clockwork, often writing several a day and trying my best to provide content on a regular enough basis that people won't get bored waiting for the next one, but I fully recognize that sometimes they feel a little phoned in or redundant. I try to make them interesting, of course, but I'm hardly Shakespeare or Ebert (who deserves a one-name moniker as much as The Bard). Nevertheless, it is that creative process that is always in play, and despite my attempts to provide accessible takes on your favorite films, sometimes I'm plagued with writer's block as much as anyone else who provides words for people to read. Songwriting, though... providing something that people want to hear over and over again... Well, that's a different animal altogether.
Ryan (Ryan Donowho), Cristin (Allie MacDonald), Timmy (Tim Jo), and Mat (James Earl) are 4/5ths of a B-list 90's band called Excelsus that are trying to regain their stardom with new addition David (David Valdes). They travel to a chateau in France owned by famed producer Charlie (Charlie Saxton) to try to make a new album, but they were dropped by their record company just before their arrival. As Ryan tries to hide their dismissal from the rest of the band in an attempt to make a hit before its discovered, tensions mount and the band's struggles with trusting the process begin to play mind tricks and make them question their own realities.
Art of the Hit is psychological horror done well, making the audience question what's happening as much as the characters. The story focuses largely around Donowho's character, but each of the actors embody their roles as potentially washed up musicians struggling between making music that matters and making music that pays. Sellout is such a strong word, and it's one used for decades by musical purists who want import much more than relevance, but it's easy to see why the music matters so much more than the fame.
Dealing with living in the shadows of the one member who made it big is something that a lot of bands have gone through, and it's really an incredibly difficult thing that nobody thinks about. Art of the Hit is sort of a Diva's Christmas Carol put into horror, a film about the ghosts of the past and the attempt to remain relevant in the present. How do you process the feelings that remain when you're left behind by someone who comes from your group and becomes a star? Are you not good enough, or are they the only one who was willing to sell out? Is it worth selling out to make it? Is the art all that matters? Art of the Hit deals with these feelings in a way that is refreshing and inventive, a film about the amorphous "industry" and how it feels to be an afterthought.
Despite the plot, as it were, Art of the Hit is really about mortality, just from a different perspective than horror usually explores. A musician seeks immortality more than anything. Fame, money, and even the art is secondary to living forever. The film talks about artists who only make it big after their deaths, about whether it would be preferable to make a platinum album or one that is remembered forever. Bubblegum rock may be popular amongst listeners, but it's the all-time greats who will never fade from memory. This pursuit of immortality, the desire to never be forgotten no matter how long you've been gone, is a brilliant idea for a film in a genre that often talks about death. How can one die when one's work lives forever?
Ultimately, the film does move a little slower than perhaps was necessary, the breakdown of central character Ryan taking center stage in a film that is rarely scary but never particularly seeks to be. It's a discussion of the disparity between talent and success, and it handles its subject matter incredibly well. It's the rare horror film that doesn't really seek to be horror so much as to have something to say, much like its characters within. And it does have something to say, even though it may at times take a roundabout way to say it.
Who this movie is for: Psychological horror fans, Slow burn horror lovers, David Geffen
Bottom line: Art of a Hit is a watchable indie horror film about mortality and the pursuit of something greater. It's rarely scary and focuses much more on the message than the scares. Thankfully, it's a subject worth talking about, and as a music fan, it's a fascinating exploration of the industry. It's also about taking the chance when you get it, and the price you pay when you choose your values over success. It may not be a hit for every horror fan, but if you're into music as much as you are horror, it's definitely worth a watch. It's hitting streaming platforms 8/20, check it out.
