Trip

Like Lynch, McCay never fully defines the mysteries in order to maintain a sinister aura. The filmmaker, however, does develop his weird concepts to a solid conclusion, as opposed to piling obscurities resulting in an ambiguous finish. The twists result in a spiral staircase with a sturdy plot railing through some major brain f*****g. While I never knew completely what was going on, I never felt lost or off track.

The acting throughout Trip, especially the female leads, is exceptional. Villalobos is able to steer through the extremities with realistic reactions that increase our respect for her character’s turmoil. She carries the role very well, keeping everything afloat. Villalobos is one of those actresses you think you have seen elsewhere even though you haven’t. She has the goods and should get more leads.

“…the kind of triumph that makes indie horror worth hunting down.”

Young knows when playing with madness you have to act the delusions as if they were real. Her expressions go from painfully normal to completely tortured with flare; she is quite good. Schott nails the key part of Jan, coming off as a believable psychologist despite the drugs being slung about. She is a great character actress with a true future in offbeat and strange movies. It should be noted that the male performances are not as notable as the female ones, but that is more of the function of the characters as written than the cast members in the roles.

The special effects are well handled and satisfyingly bloody. The only flaws are where the production values cannot hide the low budget. Things also start on the wrong foot, as we need to believe Villalobos is old enough to be Young’s mother. If Ally had Jill shortly after college, the timeline would work for her to have a teenage daughter, but the actress looks young, so it is not something that is readily bought into. These are minor quibbles, though, as Trip is the kind of triumph that makes indie horror worth hunting down. It is intriguing, unpredictable, and will scare the bunny hair off you. Feel free to take a sip and prepare to be swallowed back.