Spun is a twitchy, anxiety inducing, manic, drug fueled ride in a beat up Volvo. The editing and directing in the film adds to the feeling of being out of control--bizarre camera angles, lighting quick cuts, and a pace that feels like it is being watched at 1.75 speed.
It's like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (old Disney World reference) if the toad had been licked instead of a somewhat narcissistic Disney character.
I was reminded of several other films. Climax (2018) in the way it made me feel like I was on meth along with the characters (the drug in Climax is LSD). Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) for the camera angles and weirdness. And, of course, Requiem for a Dream (2000) in the way it tracks the effect of drug use on a small circle of friends. I certainly don't think that director Jonas Åkerlund copied those movies (or the two that were released before this one), but he may have been inspired by them.
In some ways, Spun is a West Coast telling of the Requiem for a Dream story. Spun was set in Southern California, while Requiem was set in New York. The drug of choice in Spun--meth. In Requiem, heroin amphetamines. Requiem is a spiral into hopelessness and addiction while Spun is slightly more hopeful. It's a low bar to be more hopeful than the film Requiem for a Dream...but, at least for the two main characters, Ross (Jason Schwartzman) and Nikki (Brittany Murphy) they are left with some possibility of a happier life. I guess the same can't be said for The Cook who goes out with a bang or for Frisbee who had one of his nuts shot off. That has to hurt.
A few more thoughts:
A took the recommendation from a MovieTok user (really just the side of TikTok that talks about movies). Thank you to Amanda Roberts.
This film had more than 5000 cuts and edits. That is a crazy amount for a film.
The unedited version of this film has a tremendous amount of graphic sex and nudity. Prepare yourself.
It's a movie that will make you feel a bit icky and dirty.
Although there a few moments of (very) dark comedy, I would definitely not list this as a comedy as some have.
What ever happened to the girl on the bed?
