A Trip Elsewhere

A Covid lockdown movie about the collective experience of being unable to live life normally, no social interactions, the loneliness of it all, and the mental health struggles that followed, as an entire generation of young adults were confined to their apartments. Then, there are the teens, locked in with their parents for months, this generation will always be marked by long-term isolation.

With themes like grief, redemption, mental health, self-reflection, and solace, we follow four characters: three friends and their neighbor, who accidentally takes too much LSD, hoping to escape reality for a few hours. This sends them into a shared psychedelic realm, where they must confront their fears and find redemption before returning to objective reality.

With all the ongoing research at institutions like Johns Hopkins, Imperial College London, Berkeley, and Harvard University into psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA for treating anxiety, depression, PTSD, and trauma, the film raises some intriguing questions, especially regarding the current mental health treatment system. This field of science has seen little advancement since the 1980s with the development of SSRIs, a class of antidepressants that have shown limited success, working only for a small percentage of patients. Ironically, these drugs are likely more harmful than substances like LSD.

Psychedelic experiences can be profound, helping individuals come to terms with their trauma and thought patterns by breaking down rigid neural networks that contribute to negative, repetitive thinking, patterns often associated with depression. These substances may help people escape unhealthy self-referential thinking, obsessive thoughts, and rumination, which are common in depression and anxiety. The experience can also enable people to view their thoughts and emotions from a new, less judgmental perspective. As they confront and understand their negative patterns instead of avoiding or suppressing them, they may find better mental health. Many also report altered perceptions of time, self, and the world around them, which can help provide clarity and a fresh outlook, allowing them to break free from loops of negative thinking.

For an indie film with a very low budget, the filmmakers effectively capture the psychedelic experience through the use of colours, effects, moving patterns, distortions, and synesthesia, showing things growing in size, morphing, or transforming into different objects. For example, a clock turns into liquid, or a person's face changes.

The cast delivers strong performances, the cinematography is nice, and the use of sound and editing is interesting. The score and soundtrack are also well-suited to the film's tone. Overall, I'm very impressed with Director J. R. Sawyers. It's fun, creative, and highly entertaining, with some stunning visuals.

So, why haven't you heard about this movie? Because in indie cinema, it doesn't matter how good your film is if you can't sell it at a festival or secure a distributor.

The first thing that stood out about A Trip Elsewhere was the cinematography. I'm personally very finicky when it comes to the visuals of a film and the striking images from this movie put my mind at ease immediately. I appreciated how interactive the sound design was - the production team took things a step further to really help with the immersion into the story world. Technicalities aside, the film was quite interesting and the subject matter was fresh. Four strangers coming together to have their first LSD experience sounds like a synopsis that I haven't encountered before. Maybe that's why, but the film in itself ended up being entertaining to watch as a result. I also really enjoyed the different timelines/scenarios during their trip that gave us more insight and depth into the characters. Overall, A Trip Elsewhere was a solid watch and a must-see if you're into indie films.

I was blown away by this movie. I watched it at the Love and Hope International Film Festival in Barcelona yesterday. I didn't know what to expect. As the movie was progressing I noticed that my attention never went away. The topic by itself is already fascinating. Anything about the human mind, the way it works and interprets the world is a passion for me. And this movie dealt with the topic in a masterful way, connecting as well with the topic of Psychedelics and their potential therapeutic uses. But behind all of that there is an incredible message in the movie. It is a message about perspective, relativity and interpretation, about the representations we build in our minds, our world models that help us navigate "reality" by combining our beliefs and our perception. When we become conscious about those processes we realize that our "reality" is way more malleable than we may think. And also, that our problems are as well! A problem becomes a problem specially because we believe it to be one! It is possible to alter our world models to make us get out of deep mental crevices. This movie helps us understand that our current perspective on life is just one of infinite possible ones. Let me tell you something. The recent oscar winner, everything everywhere all at once, for me and for my brother was just too much. And for many people we know as well. They overdid it. Many people didn't reach the end of that movie. We almost didn't.

For me, this movie, A trip elsewhere, is a thousand times better than that oscar winner movie. This movie, unlike Everything Everywhere All at Once, reaches a perfect balance between narrative, message, comedy and effects. It never tires you, it never lets you go. And it delivers a strong useful message that leaves you reflecting after the experience, about your mind, your own perspective on things, the way you deal with your problems and issues, and the infinite possibilities that await us, opportunities to explore many other perspectives on our life and the life of those around us.

The acting was absolutely superb by the entire cast. The effects were fantastic. This movie demonstrates that you don't need hundreds of millions of dollars to create something like Everything Everywhere All At Once, but much better!

I really hope that this movie will reach very far and hopefully be nominated for an Oscar. Congratulations Dale and team!

My husband and i were amazed by "A Trip Elsewhere," which I had the pleasure to watch at the Love & Hope International Film Festival in Barcelona. The film is a drama with hints of comedy that explores psychedelics in a cinematic way. The movie feels like a cross between Inception and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The cast delivered outstanding performances, great direction by J. R. Sawyers, cinematography and the visual effects were unique and beautiful. Even the soundtrack hits impressive highs, knowing when to go quiet and when to crank it up. I truly hope this film gets the recognition it deserves.

A Trip Elsewhere" is a unique exploration of isolation, healing, and connection, set during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film's premise-four strangers embarking on a shared psychedelic dream after taking LSD-delves into the profound psychological and emotional possibilities of finding redemption through surreal experiences. Director J. R. Sawyers skillfully blends humor and tension, encouraging viewers to question the boundaries between reality and dreams, and between individual and collective experiences.

Andrea Geones stands out with her powerful portrayal of Sorina Hart, capturing the character's inner turmoil with depth and authenticity. The film's visual effects are equally impressive, amplifying the otherworldly nature of the shared dreamscape. The writing and direction by Sawyers are remarkable, effectively creating a film that is both unsettling and enlightening.

Having seen the film at the Love & Hope International Film Festival in Barcelona, I was particularly impressed by the audience's reaction. The film received an overwhelmingly positive response, highlighting its ability to resonate with viewers on multiple levels. The blend of visual artistry, engaging performances, and thoughtful storytelling made it a standout at the festival.