In an era where studios are increasingly betting on original visions, director David Robert Mitchell is a fascinating case study. After the indie horror hit It Follows, he could have played it safe. Instead, he made Under the Silver Lake—a neo-noir detective story so weird it flopped at the box office but later found a passionate cult following. Now, with a massive $85 million budget and J.J. Abrams producing, Mitchell is set to release The End of Oak Street, a dinosaur movie starring Ewan McGregor. But before you get hyped for prehistoric chaos, you owe it to yourself to discover the strange, divisive film that paved the way.
A Detective Story Like No Other
Released in 2019 after a long delay, Under the Silver Lake stars Andrew Garfield as Sam, a directionless Los Angeles slacker who becomes obsessed with his neighbor Sarah (Riley Keough) after a single night together. When she vanishes the next day, leaving only a cryptic symbol on her wall, Sam dives into a conspiracy-laden investigation that peels back the seedy underbelly of Hollywood. Think La La Land meets a paranoid '70s thriller, complete with cults, subliminal messages, and a dog serial killer subplot that's never fully explained.
The film is a dense, two-hour-and-twenty-minute ride filled with bizarre characters and lurid imagery. Garfield plays against type as a greasy, misogynistic, and aimless protagonist—a far cry from his charming Peter Parker or Jonathan Larson in Tick, Tick... Boom!. It's a performance that makes you uncomfortable, and that's the point.
Why It Bombed—and Why It Matters
With a 58% Rotten Tomatoes score and only $2 million worldwide against an $8 million budget, Under the Silver Lake was a commercial and critical disappointment. Audiences were baffled by its lack of tidy resolutions and its willingness to leave questions dangling. One Wikipedia plot summary famously reads: "Sam realizes the bracelet is engraved with chess moves, using them to plot coordinates on a Nintendo Power diagram and overlaying the map from the cereal box to reveal an off-the-grid location in the Hollywood Hills." If that sounds unhinged, it is.
But for its fans, that unhinged energy is exactly the appeal. The film never feels random; every odd detail—from recurring imagery to conspiracy themes—serves a purpose, even if that purpose is to mirror the chaotic, paranoid nature of Los Angeles itself. It's a movie that rewards multiple viewings and invites endless interpretation, much like the works of David Lynch. In fact, if you enjoy the surreal detective work in Twin Peaks, you'll find a kindred spirit here. (Speaking of which, David Lynch's supernatural masterpiece 'Twin Peaks' is now free to stream.)
The Road to The End of Oak Street
Given the film's poor reception, it's remarkable that Mitchell landed a major studio dinosaur movie with a budget ten times larger. But Under the Silver Lake may have served as a proof-of-concept: when given freedom and resources, Mitchell can create something truly original. The End of Oak Street promises to be just as weird, but with Ewan McGregor facing off against dinosaurs. If you want to understand where that madness comes from, Under the Silver Lake is essential viewing.
For those who crave more offbeat detective stories, check out why '12 Monkeys' remains the best sci-fi time travel show you probably missed. And if you're in the mood for another cult classic that defies expectations, David Fincher's 'Gone Girl' dominates Netflix charts in July 2026.
