Elsewhere

So many direct-to-DVD films, especially horror-thriller ones are terrible that when something like Elsewhere comes along, some semblance of hope is restored. Writer-director Nathan Hope has constructed a mystery that while fairly easy to figure out rather quickly, still holds your interest throughout just to see how we get to where we think the story is going.

A lot of credit has to go to the cast. As the intrepid, intelligent, and likable lead, Anna Kendrick, now most known because of her role in the Twilight films, does a great job of making us believe that she cares deeply about finding her missing friend. She portrays a sense of screen presence usually not seen from actors of her age. Based on her work here, she, instead of Kristen Stewart, should have been given the role of Bella in the aforementioned vampire saga. It'll be interesting to see where Kendrick's career goes because she definitely has potential.

As the missing friend, Tania Raymonde has charisma, managing to make what easily could have been a despicably obnoxious character oddly likable, important because we actually care about discovering her fate. She and Kendrick share a nice rapport as well, almost instantly believable as best friends in spite of their varying personalities.

Strong writing and a dynamic cast make Elsewhere definitely a place worth visiting.

Movie has okay acting, but the plot line is dull and clichéd, much like every other aspect of the movie. Cinematography is pretty artsy and tasteful, although much of it is blue-toned (reminiscent of Harry Potter 7 Part 1) for added mysterious and negative effect. No surprises with character development (there is hardly any) or plot twists (again, none) and while you might like it to watch Anna or Tania, you'd be better off watching the actors and actresses in better-formulated movies. You'll spend a better use of your time.

Also, I have a BIG BEEF with the setting!!!

This is SO not Goshen, IN. None of the picture or sets they used are actual places or even close to it. And Goshen has never had mysteries like women disappearing because of internet creeps....Ugh, this irritates me when they try to cliché real towns. Goshen's not even that small! And in fact, it's very much into the modern age - bigger and better than Elkhart, the neighbor city I grew up in, that's for sure. School systems are excellent, the County seat and Fairgrounds are there (2nd largest Fair in the country, and no that doesn't mean it's hicksville, we had Lady Antebellum two years ago), some of the best craftsmen in the country, and even a college. Geez, it's not some "small-town Indiana where bad things happen and kids feel trapped" like this movie wants to make it into. As a writer myself, I firmly believe that unless you are very familiar with with the city or town you are setting something in, you just need to make up your own town. Otherwise you make an entire audience view it in whatever light you want it to be for your story, and that's not fair to the city or the people that live there.

Although the Movie Looks Pretty Good and is Slickly Presented for a Very Low Budget Entry in the Teen Hottie in Peril Category, this is Far from an Engaging Story and is So Bland, Considering its Subject Matter, One Wonders, What's the Point?

If it's an Attempt at Making a Non-Gory, Serial-Killer, Social Media Warning, it Mostly Fails to Make an Impression, of Any Kind. It is Even Less than Mediocre Because it is Even Less than Anything Approaching Entertaining for its Target Audience.

The Acting is Universally Bad, Especially the Non-Hotties. The Trailer Park Mother is a Clichéd, Chain Smoking, TV Watcher who is So Familiar it Bores to Tears. The Shaking Alcoholic Mother of the First Missing Girl Overacts So Much it is Amazing the Director Allowed the Performance to Stand. The Male Actors, the Cop, the Nerd, and the Father are All just Awful.

Overall, it is Not Even Worth a Watch because it is Anemic, Embarrassingly Acted, and Fails to Deliver the Minimum of Suspense and Thrills that is Central to this Kind of Thing.

Note...For Fairness and Balance...there is one good Acting turn and that is Olivia Dawn York. She delivers the only believable Character in a Cast of Thespians who would have benefited from a Director that seemed to be Elsewhere.

(2009) Elsewhere THRILLER/ SUSPENSE/ MYSTERY

Watchable straight-to-rental Nancy Drew-like mystery thriller co-written and directed by Sheldon Lettich about a couple of missing teens, and the one looking for one of them who happens to be the star, Sarah (Anna Kendrick) of the movie's best friend, Jillian (Tania Raymonde) meeting someone on-line. Expect plot holes, logic and the fact that viewers may be able to guess the perpetrators doing this before the star herself even knows herself. I appreciate the fact that their are no cringing-like moments, and that the tone itself is reminiscent of a Nancy Drew novel.

The movie was okay, the mystery behind everything kept me watching, but I didn't feel bad for the missing girl. She was obnoxious and rude, but I did like how they showed not all missing people are innocent, but they still don't deserve what happened to them. The movie does a good job at keeping you guessing, although if you watch enough movies, you know the obvious suspects aren't going to be the culprit.