Elsewhere (2009)

Review by Amanda Reyes
Written & Directed by Nathan Hope
Featuring Anna Kendrick, Chuck Carter, Tania Raymonde, Olivia Dawn Yorke, Paul Wesley
2009, E1 Entertainment US

I’ve noticed a trend in post-2000 indie films. They seem to prefer stylization over personalization, missing some of the deeper elements and essentially, the point of filmmaking. Elsewhere started as one of those but where it ended was a complete surprise...

Anna Kendrick is Sarah, a cute, well put together high schooler whose best friend Jillian (Tania Raymonde) is an absolute mess. The town tramp, Jillian begins searching for love, or rather a way to escape her Podunk existence, online. Here she meets Mr. X. After an ambiguous date with X, Jillian disappears but not before sending a creepy and cryptic video message via a cell phone to Anna. Elsewhere then begs the question, what happens when someone goes missing but no one seems to care?

Elsewhere begins as an absolute cliché. Jillian feels like a sketch of Annie from Foxes - Midwest style - a rebellious lost soul with a decent heart but a crap existence, and at first she and rest of film just don’t click. Then, and I’m not absolutely sure when, Elsewhere starts to not try so hard and at that point, everything begins to gel. Kendrick is great as the best friend, desperately trying to prove something bad has happened to Jillian. She’s aided by nerdy Jasper (Chuck Carter) who is the standout in this film. I love a layered nerd. He’s compelling, smart, funny and just great fun to watch. When he and Sarah are putting the clues together, Elsewhere is at its best, and its most natural.

To call Elsewhere a horror film would be a grievous misstep because it’s a thriller through and through. It’s like an edgier Lifetime type flick, and would probably find a nice home for itself there. Fairly predictable, it’s not about figuring it out, rather it’s about watching Sarah and Jasper find the end, and getting there was surprisingly fun.

Watch the trailer: