Writer/director Sam Iwata’s (a.k.a. Liu) Melodies of the Abyss drops us into the last, frayed stretch of rock star Kurt D. Cobryn (Andrew Steel), not long after he bolts from the Exodus Recovery Center. Back in the studio, Kurt pushes through a recording session chasing a “whole new sound,” while his engineer tries to get him to stop for the night and follow the doctor’s orders. But the musician is desperate to pick up where he left off in his career before rehab.
From there, Kurt is alone in his apartment, not resting but trying to push out his next hit. There’s a knock at the door, and it’s a woman in red named Lucy Morningstar (Kym Jackson). She reminds Kurt of the contract he signed a decade ago, and she’s come to collect. Jumping back 10 years, we see a young Kurt (Finnian James) learning he’s about to become a father, facing loan sharks, and realizing his second job isn’t covering expenses. He is approached by the ageless Lucy with a promise of fame, fortune, and, better yet, inspiration. She has just the “tools” to make all of his desires come true.
“…Kurt is alone in his apartment, not resting but trying to push out his next hit. There’s a knock at the door, and it’s a woman in red…”
In making Melodies of the Abyss, Iwata (a.k.a. Liu) was inspired by the final days of Kurt Cobain’s life, using real-world details as “archival anchors.” From there, the filmmaker let surreal elements take over to explore what “might exist in the unseen corners” of that period. The thematic spine centers on a Faustian bargain with fame, fractured memory, and redemption-seeking on both sides of the veil.
Short films are a great way for filmmakers like Iwata to take risks. It was certainly a risk to tell a story inspired by Kurt Cobain while making Cobain his protagonist. The director holds nothing back in telling his Faustian tale. You’re dancing on coals when portraying someone’s life on screen, particularly when most of the details are made up in your head. It feels like an indie film from shot composition, lighting, sound, and acting. It’s a small, tight production that feels big.
Kudos to the cast for giving solid performances all around, especially Andrew Steel as the older Cobryn. It always feels daunting for an actor to play a tragically iconic character, yet Steel makes it his own. The lesson gleaned from Melodies of the Abyss for emerging filmmakers is simple: don’t be afraid to take risks, go for it.
For screening information, visit the Melodies of the Abyss official website.
"…don't be afraid to take risks, go for it."
