If there had been a scenario where David Lynch was tasked to make a contemporary riff on This is Spinal Tap, chances are that it would look very similar to The Nowhere Inn, the absolutely ingenious and brilliantly subversive satire that was directed by Bill Benz, who was essentially standing in service to Annie Clark (better known under the moniker of St. Vincent) and Carrie Brownstein, who crafted one of the most fascinating and brilliantly off-the-wall satires of recent years. A pseudo-documentary supposedly being made as St. Vincent and the rest of her band goes on tour throughout the United States, each moment meticulously captured by Brownstein and her team of filmmakers (who act as the curators of Clark’s voyage through the country), the film is a metaphysical odyssey of oddities, handcrafted by a pair of extraordinary artists who could not have come from two more different fields in the arts – one being plucked from the world of surreal comedy, the other an alternative musician – coming together to tell a story that makes very little sense, but yet feels so incredibly important, both as an offbeat comedy, and a very important metatextual work of art. The Nowhere Inn is a film defined by its peculiarities rather than limited by them, and even the act of trying to string together a few words about it feels redundant, since this is not a film that lends itself to straightforward descriptions – yet it is somehow both funnier than even the most acclaimed comedies, and more daring than the experimental works that inspired the creation of this deranged but brilliant blend of dark comedy and psychological thriller, which remains one of the most provocative films of the past decade.

It is often said that reality is stranger than fiction – and few films demonstrate this with more gleeful perversion than The Nowhere Inn, which seems to have been constructed almost exclusively under the pretence of forcing us into a position where we have to question the very nature of reality. Postmodernism is often viewed as being abstraction manifested into a visual form, whether on a screen or canvas, or on the printed page. We don’t give enough credence to those works that function as tightly-wound satires that start out seemingly normal, before gradually unravelling to reveal some deeply disconcerting ideas embedded deep within, by which point escape is seemingly impossible, since we have grown so invested in the story, it would be a challenge to not see it through. Framed as a comedy (and it is certainly very funny – Clark and Brownstein have a wonderful sense of humour, and play off each other incredibly well – it is clear that this was a passion project for both of them), but one in which the lighthearted tone gradually erodes as more sinister ideas begin to encroach on the seemingly normal and conventional narrative, the film is a truly unforgettable experience, a story of a (meta)physical journey through the United States, punctuated by a combination of off-kilter humour and surreal horror that plays to completely different sides of the viewer’s psyche, and leaves us in a state of bewilderment, albeit one that feels constructive, and like it is achieving something rather than just alienating us from an already unorthodox narrative. The Nowhere Inn is not a film that shows any interest in playing by the rules, and instead takes the opportunity to actively shown its disdain for conventions, all the while taking us on an acidic journey into the heart of a tour gone hopelessly off the rails by the desire to capture reality, something that we start to doubt even exists by the time we have been put through the emotional and psychological wringer that is this film.

Arguably, the idea of a film starring the artist popularly known as St. Vincent is peculiar in itself, especially since it was so unexpected to see someone so historically dedicated to her musical pursuits momentarily put it on hold to star in a film. It is made even more intriguing by the fact that The Nowhere Inn is Clark’s very first acting role, with all prior credits being music videos and documentaries. She is playing herself (or rather a heightened version), so one can argue that it is not too much of a stretch, since she’s not extending herself too far from her comfort zone, making it a perfectly safe and conventional acting debut. However, these all stem from our first impression, since the first act of this film is unassuming and quite normal, and seems to be based on a relatively straightforward assignment, whereby Clark and Brownstein were playing versions of themselves that were perhaps slightly more eccentric, but not too far from the images they had harnessed over their careers. This becomes redundant as the film sinks further into the madness, as we watch the characters lose their grip on reality, submerged in a world that no longer resembles reality. In this regard, Clark proves to be an extraordinarily talented actress – even when playing a character based on herself, she’s able to add nuances and layers that allow her to separate herself from the character she is playing. It’s a fascinating attempt at riffing on her persona while expanding on the very specific details she embodies, and proves to be one of the film’s most significant strengths, both in theory and execution.

There is a rawness to The Nowhere Inn that makes it so deeply fascinating, and we are constantly being encouraged to take a deeper look in the hopes of unearthing new secrets that lurk just beneath the surface. Considering it is the brainchild of two artists that did not have as much experience within the realm of film as some of their contemporaries, it’s surprising how effortlessly the ideas in this film converge, especially considering how deeply unsettling it becomes, which is often quite rare with works that are purely experimental. Trying to navigate this film is extraordinarily difficult, since we are naturally inclined to make sense of everything that is presented to us – the specific details of any given scene are rendered almost entirely useless, since the film is driven more by the sense of impending danger than it is the story as a whole. This adds a degree of unintentional accessibility, since it allows those who are not familiar with St. Vincent or her music an equal opportunity to gaze into her process without needing to have a working knowledge of her artistic output (which is not nearly as important as it would appear – this is less a film about St. Vincent, and more a vehicle for Clark to show that she is capable of much more than with what most viewers will associate her), while still offering longtime devotees the chance to see a radically different side of an artist who is known for her aloof, intensely private life that has constantly shunned the private life. It’s curious that arguably the most expansive work that we have that looks at the mythology of St. Vincent, as well as the artist behind her, turns out to be a deranged dark comedy that leaves us without much knowledge of Clark, outside of the fact that she’s got a sardonic sense of humour, which is the only way we can make sense of the madness that fuels this fascinating film.

It isn’t often that we find a work of art in which the question “what is the film about?” isn’t only difficult to answer, but close to impossible. Numerous viewings of certain scenes or the film as a whole don’t yield too many answers (and essentially serve to just further complicate our understanding of the story, with new details emerging through the process of rewatching), and we are simply at a loss for solutions. Yet, like many of the great experimental works of their time, it is not only acceptable to walk away from The Nowhere Inn in a state of admitted confusion, but outright encourage. Clark and Brownstein relished in the opportunity to place the viewer in a daze of paranoia and panic for a solid 90 minutes, and while it is deeply unsettling and makes very little sense by the end of it, there is not a moment of this film in which we feel frustrated, at least not in a way that feels like giving up is an appropriate option. We are drawn into this world, and invited to get hopelessly lost within it, which can be intimidating for those who venture into this film with the expectations of an upbeat but conventional mockumentary. Its a film composed of contradictions and bizarre details, each one a clue to a bigger mystery that gradually becomes more evident as the film progresses – and by the end, we are in a state of awe and disillusionment, driven to the verge of sanity by a film that somehow manages to question the boundaries of reality, while still being radically entertaining and endlessly compelling, which is quite an unexpected surprise for a work that is this unassuming and eccentric.