Lost Transmissions (Katherine O’Brien, 2019): USA

Reviewed by Abby Farer-Haydon. Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2020.

The confusion, chaos and random debochery that has  come to be expected in the music industry, particularly in Los Angeles, is well prtrayed in this movie. This is a touching and painful story of a young singer and song writer named Hannah who looks for assistance and mentoring from a iconic music producer named Theo.  The fly in the ointment here is that Theo suffers from bouts of schizophrenia. The hope and trust that Hannah has for Theo causes her to try to take Theo under her wing and look out for him.  She tried to help him stay on track with his medication and his life. Somehow he keeps popping out form under Hannah’s wing.

Theo is played brilliantly and flawlessly by Simon Pegg. He keeps the audience entertained as we watch him go through his many ups and downs. At one point Theo is listening to the static noise on the car radio, trying to tune to the message that is being sent from his space brothers and sisters. Hence the title Lost Transmissions

I must say that Simon keeps us entertained and keeps away the bordom. I feel that he could get an award for his performance. Juno Temple is a sweet, trusting ingenue who feels it is her responsibility to keep Theo on track. During the movie we discover that she  has her own tribulations with depression and medication that evolve throughout the movie.

The chaos of the music scene in Los Angeles is also well portrayed. We see it with Theo’s escapades and also with the interactions that Hannah has with her employment in the music industry.  It becomes evident throughout the movie that those who are not on medication probably should be. The percision loonacy that Theo enacts is not much of a contrast to the behavior of others that are in Hannah’s life.

I would recommend this movie as a way to see another great performance from Simon Pegg. He somehow shines out through all the cliche scenes of Hollywood debochery that makes up a great part of the movie.