Art of a Hit Review: A Band's Last Stand in a Gothic Horror Setting

Released recently on digital platforms on August 20, Art of a Hit is a thriller movie that delves into the journey of a rock band looking to create their second album. Set in the early 2000s, it delves into the story of a rock band that travels to remote France in order to work with a celebrated music producer.

However, in addition to the pressure of following up to a superhit first album, the band realizes that there is something wrong in their new home, and struggles to get to work owing to a range of internal conflicts and drama with the producer. The movie has the following synopsis, as per IMDB:

“With their careers on the line, a late-90s rock band journeys to a French chateau to record with an elusive super-producer. But as tensions rise and tempers flare, they realize they're up against more than just the pressure to succeed.”

Written by Charlie Saxton, Art of a Hit has been directed by Gaelan Connell and appears to have been caught between multiple genres. While the narrative has elements of horror, it is the mystery surrounding the bandmembers and their pasts that dominates proceedings.

Art of a Hit suffers from lack of commitment to its horror elements

The narrative itself centers around Ryan Donowho’s character, Ryan, who is the band’s lead singer. He reunites the group after a period of eight years, which in itself occurred because of internal conflicts and the bandmembers feeling as if they will not be able to top the success they received from their first album.

Regardless, Ryan is able to eventually reunite the group, which consists of Cristin, Mat, and David, played by the likes of Allie MacDonald, James Earl, and Tim Jo. The group is also seen dealing with the absence of Miles, plated by Rob Raco, one of the original members of the band.

Regardless, they decide to give themselves a final chance to salvage a second album, and decide to meet up with a wildcard super-producer Charlie Dupont, played by Charlie Saxton. However, after a dramatic journey that sees them bring up a range of past conflicts, the group arrives to a mysterious chateau in France, still determined to recapture the success of their past.

The setting in itself is a centuries-old castle in Dordogne, France, with Saxton having previously written a book titled Art of a Hit, as well. Regardless, here, the movie tends to take up a horror-based narrative, as a range of mysterious happenings lead to them questioning the chateau and its owner.

Marketed as a horror film, Art of a Hit most notably fails to explain the eerie events that occur at the chateau. One of the band members spot Miles, and the group is seemingly surrounded by a range of eerie events.

Regardless, they aim to complete the job, with Ryan especially determined to help the group recapture the success from its first album. Furthermore, while the movie presents plenty of jumpscares, it eventually delves into the drama surrounding its characters.

It turns out that the castle in itself did not have any apparitions, and it was the band members' internal struggles that led them to believe that their surroundings were indeed haunted. Art of a Hit most notably seems to struggle with its lack of commitment to the horror genre. It includes plenty of horror troupes that leave viewers wanting for more, and seemingly lacks a fitting conclusion to a narrative that could have been much more engaging.

Art of a Hit is now available on demand on multiple platforms.