Elsewhere

A young Anna Kendrick Shines in this underrated Indie Thriller/Drama. When people online talk about Anna Kendrick's films, this one is always listed towards the bottom. And while it isn't a perfect film, and it's no Pitch Perfect, I thought it was pretty good, all things considered. First, it's worth knowing going in that Elsewhere is more of a thriller than a horror film. In fact, the film's premise is similar to one of Anna's other film's A Simple Favor. Like A Simple Favor, Anna Kendrick's all of a sudden goes missing, and it is up to her to figure out what happened. However, unlike A Simple Favor, Elsewhere has a more serious tone, which isn't a bad thing. In this film, Sarah (Anna Kendrick) finds herself searching for her best friend Jillian, who has made a lot of poor decisions talking to potential male predators online. The characters are a little more one-dimensional in this film, which for the most part is okay as it is a crime thriller where everyone is a suspect. However, it would have been nice to see Sarah have a little more character development. She is not completely one-dimensional, but I would have like to have seen a little more. The second thing people should remember while watching this is that this is an indie film, and it was made very early on in Anna's career. Other than Anna Kenrick, none of the other actors are amazing, but they are decent for the most part. For example. Jillian's awkward interactions with her mother felt genuine, and I really related to Sarah not knowing what to do or say in those moments. Also, Sarah should get a friend of the year award for all she does to try and find Jillian. I won't give anything away, but I would definitely recommend it for Anna Kendrick alone.

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.

This really brought me back to the days of cheesy teen thrillers and horrors I grew up with.

This film was a surprise in such a great way! I was not expecting much and got a pretty decent film.

I will be honest though it suffers a lot from being really cheesy at first and some pretty poor acting from some actors but overall a fun watch and truly creepy film well worth the watch as of July 2019 this film is available on Amazon Prime UK am I do suggest checking it out

(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.