Nerds and Beyond is getting spooky for the month of October! Every day leading up to Halloween, we will be sharing our favorite spooky films! For this edition, we’ll be talking about 30 Miles From Nowhere, a fun horror film starring Supernatural‘s Rob Benedict.
The film was written by Seana Kofoed (who also stars in it), produced by Kelly Demaret, and directed by Caitlin Koller.
The film sets the tone early with an eerie, uneasy feeling which holds and only intensifies as the plot progresses. It’s pretty much a non-stop rollercoaster from there. In the beginning, you’re slowly introduced to every character and really get a feel for who their character is, what their story is, and how they’re brought together. You learn quickly who was who in their friend group — and get a good glimpse of their friendship and what has happened over the years. Pieces of the film start to unravel, and that’s a credit to the brilliant script by Kofoed. There’s bits of humor throughout, cutting some of the tension of the film, but when you’re least expecting it, another unexpected part of the plot is revealed.
Along with the brilliant writing, comes a brilliant director, crew, and cast. Caitlin Koller did a beautiful job setting up the look and the development of the relationships of the friends in the film, pulling out great performances of each cast member. The film was beautifully shot, showcasing the area around them and really making you feel like they’re in the middle of nowhere. The film also had great cuts of shots that make the film that much more entertaining and made you jump.
As for the cast, we were — of course — excited to see Rob Benedict in this film as Larry, as he’s one of our staff’s favorites. The role was incredibly different from the things we’ve seen him in before, and he played to his character well. His comedic timing was great, and he really gave a stellar performance; you found little movements he did or facial expressions he made really add to his performance, and it was well thought-out. It was so much fun to see him in a not-so-nice role, and it really showed what a diverse actor he is. If you’re fans of Rob’s band Louden Swain, there is also an Easter Egg in the film that you will want to keep an ear out for.
Carrie Preston, as Sylvia, completely nailed her role. She made us uneasy the entire film, which is a credit to the writing, directing, and her performance. She played the character right on the edge of whether the audience could trust her or not. Seana Kofoed was great as Elaine, and she seemed the most relatable of the bunch. She played the part well, and we give her (and Marielle Scott) even more credit for having cockroaches all over her (as you can see in the trailer!) Yuck!
Cathy Shim as Bess, William Smilie as Paul, Postell Pringle as Jack, and Marielle Scott as Amber rounded out the cast. We loved each one of their characters and performances. We loved how each character had a story, which was amplified by their performances. We loved that you got to see all of their relationships — from friends who knew each other years ago, to slowly beginning to develop relationships again and seeing all of them as they share in this experience.
30 Miles From Nowhere will keep you guessing until the very end, twist after twist,. It’s a breath of fresh air in a genre that is often far too predictable. The film was gripping until the very end, and we found ourselves on the edge of our seats, asking, “What’s going to happen next?!” With many films in this genre, they’re sometimes predictable, and you’re able to see the outcome of the film from a mile away. This is not the case with this film. The ending was a complete twist that left us blindsided and a more than a little blown away; it made us sit back and think, “Wow. Did that just happen?” It’s an ending that you will not see coming — and because of that, it’s one of our favorite thriller films in recent years.
30 Miles From Nowhere is available on DVD and digital, and you can order it here.
