Nowhereland by Robin Bain – Review

Hello everyone Kevin with Film Fervor here bringing you another Independent film review. Today we will be discussing the multi award winning film Nowhereland written and directed by Robin Bain and starring Jessica Taylor Haid, Felix Ryan, Robin Bain and Emily Cheree.

Nowhereland is the tale of Shara (Jessica Taylor Haid) a fifteen year old living with her aging escort mother Kim who is losing her beauty. Kim desperate to make ends meet enlists her under aged daughter to pick up the slack and starts her on her life to sexual awaking and degradation at the hands of predators. After a altercation with her mother’s ex boyfriend and a falling out with her own boyfriend Shara is forced out onto the streets to fend for herself, with only one option to her young mind available she turns to the only life she has known.

Nowhereland is a very dark tale that while beautifully told will leave you with a uneasy feeling. It shows the darker side of the city of L.A. Thought the eyes of a desperate fifteen year old who is only trying to survive. This is shown through the absolutely phenomenal acting chops of the up and coming actors in the film. Each character no matter how brief an appearance they have shows a depth and realism that you normally don’t find in an Independent project and really speaks to the creative chops of writer/director Robin Bain and the range of talent and effort the cast put forth into the film.

The production value of Nowhereland is heads and shoulders above any independent film I have reviewed for Film Fervor. The cinematography is on par with any massive budget Hollywood film with crystal clear pictures no matter the setting. Most films have some darkening around the edges that make it very hard to tell what is happening at night but Nowhereland remains beautifully crisp at all times with no artifacts or shaky cam present at all. All of the scenes flow perfectly into one another giving you a complete story and the ever important immersion into the narrative is never once interrupted by flawed technique.

The audio quality of Nowhereland is just as top notch as the camera work. All of the actors can be heard crisply and cleanly as the deliver the stellar dialog of the film. There are no breaks, hiccups or static at all and clearly was painstakingly worked on by the production team, if more independent films could do this Hollywood would be on very shaky ground indeed. The sound track is modern and melancholy bringing such an air of desperation, sadness and a tiny ray of hope that it will catch you by the heartstrings and pull them tight.

The story of Nowhereland will likely leave you uncomfortable though as the character portrayed is a fifteen year old girl who is selling herself out on the streets. It is a very nabokovian type of work where older more experienced people take advantage of a, if not innocent, then a vulnerable child who never knew any better and is played with such conviction that you could almost believe it was true. This is a testament not only the the writing but the skill of Jessica Haid.

Nowhereland is a powerful drama that worked perfectly from beginning to the ending credits. In most films I try to spot the flaws and point them out not only so that the audience will be forewarned but also so that the film makers themselves have a chance to read them and improve upon their next work. Nowhereland however is one of those rare gems that not only ticks all the boxes in the list of viewing criteria but absolutely blows them out of the water. If you are an aspiring film maker and you want to see a film to be a guideline on what to to check out Nowhereland, heck even if you aren’t a film maker and just like superb works of art you need to watch this film. I will warn you though it can be disturbing and there is a fair deal of nudity and other upsetting imagery so it isn’t for the easily offended.

I give Nowhereland a very well deserved Five out of Five stars, just a wonderful film.

Resources for Assistance:

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: https://www.missingkids.com/home

Polaris Project: https://www.polarisproject.org/