A musical based around a group of influencers could fall into one of two camps; very good, or very bad. The residents of 1660 Vine are vloggers, gamers, TikTokers, pranksters, and the film is set up as if these are set up one after another.
The songs are performed with gusto, if rather unmemorable, and the effects overload the film with every trick and flair you could possibly think of if you regularly watch video content.
The cast are excellent singers and actors, and are completely the right demographic for the type of media platform work we consume every day, where young people like this create and monetise in the hope of making a quick buck through their work streams.
A film that runs two hours and fifteen minutes had better have something to say other than just wowing you visually, but the characters are as thin as the content they produce on their channels.
Andy Warhol once stated that everyone would have their 15 minutes of fame, and now we are very close to that as more and more people capture the uploading bug and strive to be constantly relevant to their audience and the algorithm that reaches out to them.
Becoming viral is the hallmark of success. Watching 1660 Vine is like jumping around on all of these social platforms, capturing a sliver of each video.
Based on the stage production that itself based its characters on real-life YouTubers, Instagram influencers, and former Vine stars, this is essentially a buddy movie about success, jealousy, fame, conflict, and identity.
In this, it isn’t a lot different than any other film that brings a disperate group together with some money and more than a dash of idealism. It is based around one person’s quest to ‘be real’, but can we trust what we see?
Director Patricia McGregor, artistic director of New York Theater Workshop, and choreographer Paula Abdul bring the book by Jackson Prince and music by Emma Ashford, Jenna Clayborn, CJ Cruz, Clayton Delp, Jaxson Floberg, Will Francis, Sam Jackson, Jackson Prince and Simon White to life.
1660 Vine captures the craziness of the social media landscape in a world that increasingly depends on fast-moving technology to the exclusion of real-life interaction. It’s already out of date. It doesn’t touch on deepfakes or AI, and the types of content depicted already feels a little old.
Danny Teller (Khemuni Norodom) is the main character, who decides to head to 1660 Vine after finding his break-up video has gone viral. There’s a model, Luna (Maya Jane Lagerstam), and a stunt/prank artist, Jupe (Malachi Durant).
A pair of “Cousins By Chance” (Chris Olsen & CJ Cruz) run a channel together, while Rose (Pia Toscano) is searching for that elusive hit song. Eve (Brianna Gentilella), a make-up vlogger, and Cat (Jaiden Klein), a teenage gamer, are complemented by Renee (Cheryl Porter), the manager of 1660 Vine who missed her chance.
Most the songs are highly-strung, so there is little chance to relax and reflect. The book itself is weak when you set aside the songs, although anyone who works on social media to any extent will recognise the tropes and competitiveness.
The way Millennials and Gen Z creators interact with the world, and by extension, with each other, and through their ‘brands’ is very different to the experience of earlier generations, and this film does recognise the pressure of ‘hitting your numbers’.
1660 Vine is an interesting musical and I enjoyed watching it; however I believe deeper characterisation and a more thoughtful storyline could have made this a better film.
3 stars
1660 Vine is now available on Prime Video.