Jeff Baena’s lifeless mysterious comedy Spin Me Round will leave you scratching your head in all the wrong ways
(This review is part of our coverage of the 2022 South by Southwest festival)
Amber (Allison Brie), the protagonist of Spin Me Round, isn’t much for spontaneous vacations. She’s usually spending any of her waking hours as a dutiful manager at the Italian eatery Tuscan Vineyard. But one day, one of her superiors gives her the notice that she’s been chosen to travel to a retreat with a handful of other people to the company’s headquarters in Italy. Now is the time for some relaxing, fun, and maybe, just maybe, some romance.
Once Amber arrives, though, things quickly turn out to be different compared to her expectations. For one thing, the whole excursion is overseen by the controlling Craig (Ben Sinclair). For another, Amber quickly catches the eye of her company’s founder, Nick Martucci (Alessandro Nivola). This unexpected romance, spurred on by the aid of Marucci’s assistant Kat (Aubrey Plaza), sends Amber’s head into a spin. However, suspicious activities and missing guests quickly have her wondering if there’s something sinister happening in this delectable paradise.
Some movies are invigorating in how their plots seem to unfurl organically, with scripts that simulate the sensation that viewers are watching something unfold in real time. Spin Me Round is the worst-case scenario of that approach. The screenplay, by Brie and Jeff Baena (the latter of whom also directs) constantly flails to figure out where to take its story next. Its abrupt twists and turns don’t feel naturally spontaneous, but rather desperate attempts to figure out what to do with an Italian backdrop and a collection of game comedic actors.
A key issue here is what 99% of movies suffer from, and that’s a lack of Aubrey Plaza. When she first enters the proceedings, Plaza carries a twinkle of unpredictability in her eye and chaotic energy radiating all over her body. She’s got the kind of concrete personality and immediately engaging aura that so many of the Spin Me Round characters desperately lack. Whenever she’s on-screen doing things like threatening handsy dudes on the dance floor with a busted wine bottle to the throat, the movie can’t help but come alive.
But just as you’re more aware than ever of a rainy day after a brief burst of sunlight, the tedium of scenes not involving Plaza becomes extra apparent whenever she’s not around. Even worse, Plaza outright vanishes from the movie for inexplicable reasons at the halfway mark. With its best asset gone, Spin Me Round becomes a downright chore to get through. No movie featuring Tim Heidecker and Fred Armisen in key supporting roles should be this straightforward and lifeless.
They, along with so much else of Spin Me Round, would be better served if the screenplay could serve up some better gags. Alas, the humor here falls flat as a result of Dane and Brie’s writing, often deciding excess itself is funny. For instance, supporting player Zack Wood abruptly gets upgraded to co-lead status in the third act seemingly just for a scene where he screams a lot during a meeting between the other attendees of the retreat. Neither his increased presence nor his loud noises inspire even the barest of titters.
Pouring salt on the filmmaking wounds, Spin Me Round doesn’t offer anything interesting in either its story or characters to compensate for the dire lack of gags. Any mystery elements of the plots end up going in the expected routes for R-rated indie American comedies. Amber, meanwhile, doesn’t function well as a lead character on any level. Whether you look at her as a vehicle for audiences to engage in wish-fulfillment fantasies or to make you laugh, she’s just too vaguely defined to shape a whole movie around. On every level narratively, Spin Me Round is asleep at the wheel.
Baena’s directing is similarly lifeless, a shocking development since you’d imagine all the beautiful Italian landscapes could result in some similarly gorgeous backdrops to distract the viewer. But the limited number of dreary interior locales that the story occupies means that Daena never utilizes the full visual opportunities afforded to him by Spin Me Round’s main setting. Whether it’s Italian scenery or other seemingly can’t miss aspects like a committed Molly Shannon, Spin Me Round tends to waste promising elements at its disposal.
Though not devoid of laughs (how could Shannon not elicit some giggles?), Spin Me Round is a bizarrely lifeless affair with little ambition to its name save for a reliably zesty performance from Aubrey Plaza. Jeff Baena is aiming to deliver a slow-burn comedy punctuated by humorous absurdity. Unfortunately, all he’s come up with is opaque and tedious. Those looking to make this a destination for quality indie comedy filmmaking would be wise to alter their travel plans.
Read next: The Spool's Best New Releases
Streaming guides
The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
Season 3 of the hotly anticipated Power spin-off, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, is arriving on Starz soon, so you know what that means: it’s the ’90s again in The Southside, and we’re back with the Thomas family as they navigate the ins and outs of the criminal underworld they’re helping build. Mekai Curtis is ... How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re so back! To celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, the BBC is producing a three-episode special starring none other than the Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. And to the supreme delight of fans (that would be me, dear reader), the Doctor will be joined by old-time companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and ... How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Which Netflix Country has Interstellar?
Maybe you’ve just seen Oppenheimer and have the strongest urge to marathon—or more fun yet, rank!—all of Christopher Nolan’s films. Or maybe you’re one of the few who haven’t seen Interstellar yet. If you are, then you should change that immediately; the dystopian epic is one of Nolan’s best, and with that incredible twist in ... Which Netflix Country has Interstellar?
Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
For whatever reason, The Hunger Games series isn’t available in the same countries around the world. You’ll find the first and second (aka the best) installments in Hong Kong, for instance, but not the third and fourth. It’s a frustrating dilemma, especially if you don’t even have a single entry in your region, which is ... Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
How to Watch ESPN With A Free Trial
One of the major concerns people have before cutting the cord is potentially losing access to live sports. But the great thing about live TV streaming services is that you never lose that access. Minus the contracts and complications of cable, these streaming services connect you to a host of live channels, including ESPN. So ... How to Watch ESPN With A Free Trial
How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
To date, Paramount Network has only two original shows on air right now: Yellowstone and Bar Rescue. The network seems to have its hands full with on-demand streaming service Paramount+, which is constantly stacked with a fresh supply of new shows. But Yellowstone and Bar Rescue are so sturdy and expansive that the network doesn’t ... How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
Previously “Women’s Entertainment,” We TV has since rebranded to accurately reflect its name and be a more inclusive lifestyle channel. It’s home to addictive reality gems like Bold and Bougie, Bridezillas, Marriage Boot Camp, and The Untold Stories of Hip Hop. And when it’s not airing original titles, it has on syndicated shows like 9-1-1, ... How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
How to Watch TNT Sports With A Free Trial
For many sports fans, TNT is a non-negotiable. It broadcasts NBA, MLB, NHL, college basketball, and All Elite Wrestling matches. And, as a bonus, it also has reruns of shows like Supernatural, Charmed, and NCIS, as well as films like The Avengers, Dune, and Justice League. But while TNT used to be a cable staple, ... How to Watch TNT Sports With A Free Trial
How to Watch Comedy Central With a Free Trial
It’s no coincidence that many of today’s biggest comedians found their footing on Comedy Central: the channel is a bastion of emerging comic talents. It served as a playground for people like Nathan Fielder (Fielder For You), Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), Tim Robinson (Detroiters), and Dave Chappelle (Chappelle’s Show) before they shot ... How to Watch Comedy Central With a Free Trial
How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show airing on FX. The channel has made a name for itself as a bastion of high-brow TV, along with HBO and AMC. It’s produced shows like Atlanta, Fargo, The Americans, Archer, and more recently, Shogun. But because it’s owned by Disney, it still airs several blockbusters in ... How to Watch FX With a Free Trial