Ximbi Xombix

There was a fourth member of the band for a while (sort of), but he and Ricco have a falling out. Aside from a few flashbacks, this does not inform anything that is going on in the film. The people that offer the record deal disappear for such long stretches that I honestly forgot who they were when they showed back up. The same ideas apply to the altered foods and zombies. Both only enter the picture when the movie finally remembers about them, as opposed to being woven into its DNA.

Happily, there are a few positives to Ximbi Xombix. The reggae songs by SheepPsyche are pretty good. Now, I fully admit that I do not know much about this genre of music, as outside of a few film soundtracks and well-known breakout hits, I don’t really listen to it. But I definitely found myself tapping my toes to the beat more than once.

It is true that the film seems more an excuse to showcase the songs and the band’s music videos than telling a coherent, cohesive story in a visually exciting way. While usually, that would be a huge issue, the songs are the only time the movie shows any sense of energy or life, so despite the number of songs played, the musical moments at least bring something to the table.

“…overstuffed his screenplay, while simultaneously under cooking every single element…”

The acting is also not too shabby. The three leads share decent chemistry and are trying their best to sell the weight of the decision their characters’ face. They have an uphill battle given the dialogue, but they all do what they kind. Not that the rest of the film is help them all that much either.

Ximbi Xombix is so boringly shot that it kills whatever tone or atmosphere Kim was aiming for. Director of photography Daniele Napolitano blandly sets up shots that are poorly lit, so the film never has a visual language to call its own. A sense of style never emerges, as some shots are so bland, and others are too experimentally trippy to feel like they belong in the same movie.

I don’t know who David Kim made Ximbi Xombix for. It fails to properly establish its world, largely forgetting about side characters and plot threads as soon as the scene ends. It is too long to maintain its bare-bones story while also have too much going on to really make sense. At least the actors are giving it their all and the music is catchy.