Serious People

Watched at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Directors Pasqual Gutierrez and Ben Mullinkosso have a good premise about the satirical world of show business for music videos. Despite a good sense of humor and some good character dynamics, it's thin creative approach and tedious structure doesn't really do serve to it's creative nature. Filmed with a doc-fiction approached, many moments are clearly shown how passionate the filmmakers are wanting to be able to craft. Especially it's satire themes and characters to which I did enjoy some aspects about them.

The problem is that it seems lost. Rather being focused on itself, it seems to run dry as the structure, style, and approach feels aimless and a bit unsure how to present itself. The performances are a mix of some good and some not so good, which distracts from the satirical themes it is wanting to approach.

In the end, I do understand the intentions and all, but it felt more lackluster.