Review of Enter Nowhere (2015) by Hugo C — 18 Apr 2012

Note: Below I genre classify Enter Nowhere as an occult film. The word, "occult" has come to be synonymous with "satanism." It should be acknowledged however, that the term actually describes hidden or secret "knowledge" beyond the range of that which can be understood by use of the scientific method (i.e. occult assertions are untestable.) Occult phenomenon include the paranormal, the supernatural, magic, spiritualism, alchemy, ESP, divination, etc, in other words, the metaphysical, or the "science" of that which cannot be quantified or measured, as opposed to academic, or natural sciences.

ENTER NOWHERE (2011).

WRITTEN BY: Shawn Christensen, Jason Dolan.

DIRECTED BY: Jack Heller.

FEATURING: Scott Eastwood, Katherine Waterston, Shaun Sipos. Christopher Denham, Leigh Lezark, Jesse Perez.

GENRE: OCCULT PUZZLER, HORROR.

TAGS: mystery, thriller.

PLOT: In an isolated cabin, four stranger's fates depend upon whether or not they can solve a bizarre, unnatural conundrum.

COMMENTS: Once again, Lion's Gate has saved the day by picking up a high quality, independent effort for mainstream distribution. This time, it's a small budget film shot on Long Island with Sarah Paxton, Scott Eastwood, and Katherine Waterston. The solid performances and clever plot fully warrant Lion's Gate's backing.

When three strangers with wildly varying backgrounds find themselves stranded at a shanty in the woods, they assume that each others presence is coincidental. But as a series of disturbing evens unfolds, it gradually becomes apparent that there is some sort of morbid, horrifying design to the situation. Worse, the travelers can't seem to leave or even agree on basic facts. Journeying in circles, unable to find geographic landmarks twice in a row, and enduring extremes in weather and temperature, the trio is running out of food, water, time, and ideas for extracting themselves from their predicament. Until a fourth participant discovers the cabin, that is, and he has an agenda that is at best, unsavory.

While enter nowhere is a psychological thriller which takes place in one location with a focus on dialogue over action, it's tense and engrossing. The cabin and the surrounding woods are creepy, ala The Evil Dead, and the plot steadily mounts a foreboding aura of dread and inevitable doom.The fun of puzzlers such as Enter Nowhere is trying to figure out what's happening, and we do so in real time, along with the central characters who don't know anything more than we do about the situation.

I know what you're thinking. Enter Nowhere is another Saw, or maybe one of endless variations on An Occurrence at Owl Creek bridge, ala Jacob's Ladder, or Dead And Buried. Wrong! Every time you think you've figured out the riddle and solution, Enter Nowhere contorts and twists, heading off in an unexpected direction. The story is fresh and completely unpredictable.

Enter Nowhere was shot on a small budget, but is professionally filmed and edited, with solid acting. It is a modest budget production, but not a low budget movie. Enter Nowhere is one of the most cleverly constructed puzzlers I've seen yet, and it not only held my attention, but had me tearing the threads out of my seat cushion in nervousness and consternation.