By Romey Norton - December 27, 2024
Has enough time passed for us to be okay with COVID-19 films? I think so. It was a time of unprecedented isolation and uncertainty, which offers the perfect setting for drama films such as this. But are we really wanting a film where you’re the sober one at the party watching your friends get high? Maybe not. Directed by J.R. Sawyers and starring Andrea Geones, Maura Mannle, Hayes Dunlap, and Sawyers, A Trip Elsewhere tells the story of four anxious, troubled souls who take a record-breaking dose of LSD to escape their lives and live to tell the tale. This trip takes them into a shared psychedelic dream where they must confront their deepest, darkest fears.
The film starts by letting the audience get to know the characters individually, and how they come together to take these drugs. Which feels a little far-fetched but I’d say just to go with it, when it comes to a film about a group of people on an acid trip. There’s a lot of reference to the mental effects the pandemic had on people, from anxiety and loneliness, leading to their lives needing more excitement and escapism.
In this dreamscape, the mixed group must find redemption in the psychedelic labyrinth to come back to reality. The group is made up of a film producer, a waitress, a programmer, and a paramedic. These are good enough characters to offer a range of believable knowledge and experience.
However, the acting was awkward and disconnected at times. Some have good chemistry, but no one was stand-out compelling. The script is funny and at times unsettling, which will keep you on your toes and invested as a viewer. The initial taking of the drugs and the characters slowly tripping is entertaining, but could have pushed the boat out to be over the top and ridiculous.
I did expect the film to be funnier, and more exciting. The pace is rather slow, and we flit from one person's trip to the next as they work through their personal demons to come out the other side a better person. The main story being someone who is dealing with grief and becoming a new mum - it feels cruel asking her to choose between a life with her late parents and one with her baby. It’s a good conflict to watch and go through with the character.
The film has a veil of sepia colour which is rather lovely. I’m not sure if this was accidental or on purpose, but there is just a calming, warm use of colour in the beginning before the wacky, insane psychedelic trip. Their ‘trips’ include electricity, fish bowl style shots and swirly scenes that might remind you of the old iTunes backgrounds, animations and more.
As the film develops, it's predictable that everyone will get over their anxieties and wake up refreshed with new perspectives. So I was hoping for a dramatic twist, which we do in fact get, but it's brief and quickly shot down.
A Trip Elsewhere does well in delving into the complexities of mental health and resilience. It questions the pathways we take to healing and transformation, and people's shared experiences, whether that is a shared trauma or an LSD trip. With a happy and fulfilling ending, this film is creative, arty, fun and a decent watch.
A Trip Elsewhere is on TVOD platforms like Apple and Amazon
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