Spun

Jonas Åkerlund’s Spun is a frenetic dive into the chaos and grime of the drug world, perfectly aligned with the director’s signature style.

Known for his groundbreaking music videos, Åkerlund brings that same rhythm to this film, making it feel like an extended, gritty montage - a rollercoaster ride that’s impossible to look away from.

The saturated, hyper-vivid colors bleed into one another, capturing the hallucinatory haze of meth-fueled binges. Every shot feels like descending into a distorted reality, where beauty and ugliness collide, reflecting the characters’ fraying mental states.

Set against the backdrop of the glorious MTV years, the cast includes icons of the era, like Brittany Murphy and Mena Suvari, who bring their teenage-star energy into this grimy, naughty narrative. 

Murphy, in particular, delivers a frenetic, heartbreakingly unhinged performance as the drugged-out girlfriend of a meth cook. Alongside them, Hollywood legends like Mickey Rourke (as the menacing drug dealer known as The Cook) and Debbie Harry (as a sassy, leather-clad dominatrix) - and a cameo from Rob Halford - lends the film a gritty, star-powered edge that feels both nostalgic and subversive.

Spun shares DNA with Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers in using pop culture icons to explore nihilism and hedonism.

Both films blur the line between glamour and decay, offering unsettling yet seductive portraits of their subjects. Pop-anime influences pepper Åkerlund’s film as well, with exaggerated, cartoonish elements enhancing its surreal, frenetic energy.

The editing pays homage to the frenetic style of 1970s TV series, with split screens, freeze frames, and rapid cuts that amplify the film’s hyperactive, disjointed narrative.

The result is a sensory overload that immerses the audience in the chaotic, hallucinatory world of its characters. Åkerlund weaves a tapestry that feels at once nostalgic and disorienting.

Tying it all together is a soundtrack masterpiece by Billy Corgan, whose haunting compositions inject the film with a melancholy undercurrent. The music grounds the chaos, serving as a poignant reminder of the humanity lost in the haze of addiction.

At its core, the film is a brutal yet strangely hopeful trip. It’s a dizzying, visceral trip through a world of broken people seeking fleeting relief, and Åkerlund captures it all with unflinching artistry. 

Spun is a raw, abrasive gem and a vibrant testament to Åkerlund’s genius and, the chaotic beauty of early 2000s cinema and a perfect time capsule of its decadence.