Escaping Ohio

Before I launch into my review, I'd like to make something clear. When I see a movie with a high rating here, I look to see just how many reviewers rated it. If it's a small number I can pretty much guess they were from friends and family involved in the movie and not a true sampling of viewers. Let me assure you, that's not the case here. I review movies for the local paper plus I've had a movie blog for ages. If you don't believe me, it's on blogspot. Just look for MovieJunkieMark.

Now on to my review. I thought this film was a sweet little indie gem. It was absolutely charming. I've heard that the two leads wrote the film, then raised the funds to finance it, and struggled to find a distributor. As luck would have it, it's currently on Hoopla. I thought the acting was really good, it was well written, and the cinematography was decent. Sure, it was a little predictable, but what more do you want from a sincere, coming of age film? I loved the fact that JJ took Sam around to convince her to stay in Ohio, because of how much it had to offer. He took her to offbeat places like a deserted old football field, and a abandoned bridge in a suburb that was never built. I'm from Detroit and love exploring old buildings from a bygone era.

If you're looking for a sweet little indie flick, be sure to check this one out. I hope they find a distributor for the movie so mrs folks get a chance to see it. Bravo!

--MovieJunkieMark.

I really enjoyed this film a lot and it is well worth a watch. Escaping Ohio made me feel like I was watching an 90s-2000s coming of age movie so the nostalgia hit big time.

You follow along on the journey of a young woman just leaving high school and unsure of her path forward and how big a leap to take. We all go through this, as we wonder what to do next and you can feel the sense of trepidation and fear but also excitement. The director did a good job not overdoing the plot or over complicating the story and focusing mainly on telling a tale that really connects with the viewer. A tale of what the future could hold, and how the past can hold you.

You journey along with the leads (and Sam in particular) as they explore both their relationship, their relationship with Ohio and their hometown itself, and their realization of who they might want to be going forward. There is good chemistry between the leads and it does a good job of making the relationship and family dynamics realistic. There is also a fun twist at the end compared to many similar movies.

9/10. Well worth a watch, particularly if you love that genre of movie. Vibes of Lady Bird, Booksmart, Garden State, and Breakfast Club.