We haven’t had a Spike Jonze-directed feature film since 2013’s amazing “Her.” Since then, the filmmaker has kept busy with a short film, a couple commercials, and a few other projects. But watching anything directed by Jonze is still a rare treat. That’s why we were intrigued when we saw that Jonze teamed up with Apple to direct a commercial for their HomePod.
Now, when we say commercial, what we really mean is that Jonze has directed a 4-minute music video for the song “Til It’s Over” by Anderson .Paak, starring artist FKA Twigs. And as you would expect from anything conceived in the mind of Spike Jonze, the video is a surreal trip through a woman’s apartment as she dances and distorts reality.
Other than the quick HomePod feature in the beginning and the very end, there’s really nothing else in the video that feels like a commercial. The viewer just becomes entranced on FKA Twigs as she dances and her apartment bends to her will, eventually revealing a doppelganger of herself. If it sounds batshit crazy as described, then you can just imagine how nuts it actually is.
Does it work as a commercial for a $350 smart speaker aimed at people with iPhones? Maybe, maybe not. It’s highly doubtful that, as great as the speaker probably sounds, the HomePod will imbue you with magical powers that will allow you to warp reality and become a world-class dancer. What it does achieve is showing that Jonze and FKA Twigs should team up in the future because this commercial is great.
Also, if you’re a fan of the Anderson .Paak song (and who isn’t? The guy is amazing!), then you have to be an Apple Music subscriber, as the song is an exclusive. Maybe that’s the part of the commercial that might actually get you to fork over the money for an expensive speaker?