Elsewhere Blu-ray Review

Sarah (Anna Kendrick of Twilight) is the do-gooder, track star, with a nice home and a lawyer mom. Jillian (Tania Raymonde of Lost) is a rebellious teen who despises her mom, lives in a trailer, and entertains herself by chatting with men online. Somehow, these two manage to become best friends in the small town of Goshen, Indiana. Elsewhere, from feature film debut director Nathan Hope, is an E1 Entertainment Blu-ray released June 2nd.

One night, after a party, Jillian becomes the latest in a string of teen girls to turn up missing in Goshen. The only clues left behind are a random cell phone message that Sarah struggles to understand. After a failed attempt to get the police to help, Sarah turns to Jasper (Chuck Carter of Senior Skip Day), the town’s computer geek, and the two plunge head-long into Goshen’s dark secrets – uncovering corrupt police, jilted boyfriends, and a mother driven mad by loss. The final truth they unearth will rock the town to its foundations.

When Sarah shows a relentless drive to find her missing friend, someone gets a little nervous and begins to issue some threatening warnings. Scared of what she might discover, Sarah pursues the truth to no end.

Elsewhere is a suspenseful teen thriller that features a cast of some of the top teen stars of today. Anna Kenrick is a rising teen star with Twilight under her belt already, and an upcoming role in Up in the Air with George Clooney. She is a talented young actress and makes this movie modestly successful at keeping the viewer engaged. Paul Wesley (“Everwood,” “Fallen”), Jon Gries (Napoleon Dynamite, Taken), and Olivia Dawn York all add to the story in supporting roles.

If you like suspenseful movies, you might enjoy Elsewhere. There is some decent acting talent behind the story. There are, however, some aspects of the film that are not exactly seamless. The connection between the initial kidnapping of Jillian and the plot conclusion with the guilty party identified is not strong. Much of the movie is built on the fear and action of Sarah’s chase to find her friend, with less emphasis on developing the plot and building toward a sensible finish. Still, a movie that teens and young adult suspense movies will appreciate. Themes and language make this movie unfit for younger viewers.

Special Blu-ray features include:

• Audio commentary with Director Nathan Hope and Producer Vincent Palomino
• “The Road to Elsewhere” Featurette
• Deleted Scenes
• Photo Gallery

• Actors: Anna Kendrick, Paul Wesley, Jeff Phillips, Shannon Holt, Tania Raymonde, Chuck Carter
• Directors: Nathan Hope
• Format: Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Studio: E1 Entertainment U.S.
• Blu-ray Release Date: June 2, 2009
• Run Time: 106 minutes

Blu-ray Review by Neil of Movie Room Reviews