Remember COVID…and the lockdown…and the isolation? There was a lot of introspection going on, and in J.R. Sawyers’ feature film, A Trip Elsewhere, he found enhanced introspection with the aid of a mysterious substance.
Our story takes place during lockdown, and four souls find themselves at a crossroads in life. Sorina (Andrea Geones) is a single mother who finds it challenging to care for her child after her parents’ deaths. Amy (Maura Mannle) is grinding out her days during pointless Zoom meetings, and Lenny (Hayes Dunlap) is running out of time and money as Hollywood shuts down, and there is no work to be done.
As luck would have it, after an embarrassing Zoom, Amy uncovers a small packet of LSD and invites Sorina over for a hit. On the way to Amy, Sorina runs into her old high school friend Lenny, who is on a food delivery run to Amy’s neighbor, Dale (J.R. Sawyers). After dropping off Dale’s pizza, Sorina invites Lenny and Dale for an adventure. Luckily, Dale happens to have a medical background and administers the doses of LSD for the quartet.
The LSD doses were too potent, causing the four friends to share hallucinations and embark on an odd and poignant journey. Sorina finds herself in the presence of her recently deceased parents. Amy finds herself with her ex. Lenny is dead, and Dale is chasing after his deceased wife.
“…the four friends share hallucinations and embark on an odd and poignant journey.”
Only indie films can make a sweet and poignant tale as A Trip Elsewhere. The LSD trip alone would probably scare off a few Hollywood execs. I want to first write about the film’s tone. Director J.R. Sawyers legitimizes his odd premise by expertly blending the weirdness of an LSD overdose with a serious drama about grief and loss. His cast is more than ready to take on the required dramatic performance to make this tale feel authentic.
To me, Sorina’s story had the most significant impact. In it, she’s caught in a dream where she’s back with her parents and realizes how lost she’s been without them. At the same time, she’s in search of her missing daughter—or does her daughter even exist? There’s almost a Peter Pan-like quality to her dilemma.
The film explores the theme of shared experiences. A group of people simply cannot flow in and out of each other’s hallucinations. Filmmaker Sawyers addresses this theme, saying his story “was inspired by the notion of shared dreams—the idea that in moments of profound crisis, our subconscious minds might bridge the gaps that separate us. My interest lay in exploring the psychological and emotional possibilities this concept presented.”
In A Trip Elsewhere, J.R. Sawyers crafts a unique lockdown story that transcends its surreal premise, delving into themes of grief, shared connections, and personal redemption. With a cast that delivers heartfelt performances, the film balances the bizarre with the profoundly human. It’s a poignant reminder of how we find ways to connect and heal even in isolation.
"…Only indie films can make a sweet and poignant tale as A Trip Elsewhere."
