I place great trust in Alison Brie, however she is involved in a film, and likewise filmmaker Jeff Baena (and for that matter, Aubrey Plaza). We've all seen movies that rely on humor of a wry, dry, or quirky nature. I'm having a hard time thinking of another movie, though, that leaned so heavily on humor that was downright awkward, and which subsequently makes the viewing experience incredibly awkward. Baena and Brie's screenplay starts with very conventional ideas - the vacation with all expenses paid, the holiday romantic comedy, the whirlwind adventure, scene writing that follows familiar notions - then stretches and twists every thought into a sideways variation that's at once dark, lighthearted, terribly gawky, and perfectly calculated. With slight shifts in mood, every character, line of dialogue, scene, and story beat (and, emphatically, even the costume design) is warped into a form that in my opinion goes a little beyond the most ordinary varieties of comedy. And still, the plot at large takes on flavors of mystery, drama, and thriller, (and in some measure, horror and arguably even giallo), such that 'Spin me round' recalls serious like-minded fare we may have seen in the 70s, probably starring Charlotte Rampling, Frank Nero, and/or Alain Delon.
The result is plainly bizarre: piquing our interest, sometimes eliciting hearty laughs, sometimes making us cringe, and dancing across such a wide spectrum of feelings sometimes even within a single scene that the actors might go from straitlaced and straight-faced to emotionally and/or literally throwing themselves around the room. This feature is definitely entertaining, and very well made by the highest standards of the 2020s, but is such a wild, oddball creation as the story picks up that it's difficult to meaningfully get a beat on everything that's thrown together. The filming locations are gorgeous, the costume design is beautiful, the hair and makeup is lovely, the production design and art direction are solid, the stunts and effects are excellent, the superb cast unreservedly embraces every far-flung odd and end, Baena's direction is impeccable in whipping the picture's vitality into utmost vibrancy - and for as sharp, smart, and imaginative as Baena and Brie's writing is, still the sum total is both a total blast and utterly confounding. And somehow, when all is said and done, this cornucopia is tremendously fun. I really had no idea what I was getting into when I sat to watch, and anyone who says they do is either lying or worked on the production.
I couldn't begrudge anyone who checks this out and views it less favorably; the title is all over the proverbial map, and while I was having a good time throughout I was also consistently a tad flummoxed. "Consistently" is the key phrase, though, because 'Spin me round' maintains the same offbeat energy throughout its length, and no matter how peculiar it might get, it still distinctly feels kindred to Baena's previous works, where Brie also had a hand involved in one capacity or another. This is surely something best suggested for those who are receptive to all the wide, wacky possibilities cinema has to offer, or to those who are major fans of the contributors. One way or another, though, if you're looking for an enjoyable comedy and are ready to accept whatever comes your way, this is a delight and well worth one's time.
