Written and directed by Adam Seidel, a lonesome roughneck commits a hasty and brutal crime after discovering his scumbag brother is planning to run off with his unfaithful wife, upending the only life he’s ever known. Starring: Joshua Burge, Hayley McFarland, Sean Gunn, Ryan Francis, Annie Funke, Mary Buss, Ben Hall, Jonathan Lipnicki, Zandy Hartig, Josiah Overstreet, Colleen Elizabeth Miller and Kyle Jacob Henry.
If you’re heading into this film as a fan of Sean Gunn, be prepared for what you’re about to find. Anywhere is not here to extend Gunn’s run of hapless, lovable, clumsy, big-hearted, sweet characters, far from it. This film was Gunn’s prime opportunity to show a little of his range and stray into creepy, stalker territory, and he does very well. He’s a surprisingly good fit for this role, it was a great piece of casting and it’s really satisfying to see him stretch some different acting muscles.
Back to the rest of Anywhere, it has a great presence and aesthetic right from the beginning. The cinematography from Adam J. Minnick is excellent, it’s perfectly consistent throughout, it has a great colour and depth, it elevates the film and enhances the tension. Especially when combined with the great score from Cory Perschbacher with its dramatic, pensive notes. Added to Adam Seidel’s strong direction, which really taps into that classic small town crime feel, with plenty of foreboding and apprehension.
While Anywhere might start out with a bang, this is a slow burner, it has an intentionally gradual pace which works well. It has some good dark touches, a little bit of violence but doesn’t try to truly make that a part of its style, and the tone and atmosphere are captivating. However, as the film progresses, it feels like it’s not developing its story enough, there was so much potential for twists and turns, to lean into the mystery and crime, or even embrace its comedic side more, but that never truly happens, we only get hints of it.
It also feels as though its focus was maybe misplaced, with its lead John (Joshua Burge) being a rather lacklustre character, while his wife Syd (Hayley McFarland) is a quietly fascinating woman. Burge gives an excellent performance as always, he’s a very reliable actor and has a good presence but the character simply doesn’t have that much to offer. Whereas Syd has a creeping darkness and so many layers that could have been explored, it feels like a missed opportunity to not let her take the wheel. Especially as that’s exactly what her character would do, while John mostly lets things happen and half-heartedly attempts to deal with the consequences.
Anywhere is excellently shot, has a captivating atmosphere, and a great concept, it simply doesn’t take it as far as hoped. That gradual pacing works well but it’s missing a satisfying payout, and it spends too much time focusing on John, who simply doesn’t have as much to offer, he’s an inescapably humble, simple character. There is plenty of great ingredients at work, the direction, the cinematography, the score, and there’s a terrific cast, it has truly good bones but falls short of its potential.
