Everlasting isn't really what I'd call a "horror" movie in the traditional sense, though there are certainly horrific images and themes in it. Director Anthony Stabley describes it as a "dark mystery thriller" and that absolutely nails it.
Plot wise it's pretty straight forward. We know where we're going from the very beginning and it's just a matter of how we're going to get there. The film utilizes flashbacks and voice-over in a very effective way to tell the story. I'm not a huge fan of the found footage genre and while there's a ton of hand-held stuff here, Matt (Adam David) is a film student, its not overdone and doesn't get annoying. The time line jumps around quite a bit but it's not nearly as bad as say Lost and not nearly as difficult to follow as something like Memento.
The scenery here is breathtaking. Jesse & Matt are making their way from Denver to LA and they go through one of the most beautiful parts of the country and the film spares no expense showing us. They clearly did their homework here when it came to scouting locations. Not only do the places look great but the cast (especially the ladies – more on that later) look amazing. This is due not only to the fact that it's full of pretty people but their attire fits the film to a "T". Special shout out to Costume Designer Alycia Belle, Production Designer Candi Guterres and Makeup Artist Kristina Ellery – top notch.
The cast here is superb. Everyone delivers their lines in a manner that doesn't seem forced or out of place (one of my biggest pet peeves with the films I've been watching recently). Nearly everyone in the film from Jesse's mother (Elisabeth Röhm) to Bai Ling's Christine fit their roles like a glove. Robert LaSardo as Rocky is a face that you'll recognize even if you don't know the name and he brings a gravitas to a small role that was very welcome. Pat Healy as Henrique gives a performance that is flawless. He's creepy as hell and truly shows the underbelly of the world that Jesse has walked into.
But the stars of the film are clearly Matt (Adam David) and Jesse (Valentina de Angelis). Matt is hurting for the majority of the film as he's telling the story of his dead girlfriend. His motivations are clear and you can see the pain and pleasure on his face. He does give off a very strong 'Ricky Fits' vibe more than once (the camera guy from American Beauty) but that's to be expected as he's holding a camera for most of the movie. I'm not quite sure I would have acted the same way he did in certain situations but I can't say any of his choices were "wrong".
And I've saved the best for last Valentina. To say I'm smitten would be an understatement. Let's get something out of the way. She's hot. Like crazy hot. But that's not what I'm talking about. She gives an amazing performance here. When they went scouting for the role of Jesse they hit the jackpot. The journey that this character goes through from beginning to end is heartbreaking and de Angelis shows every emotion with a flare and experience of an actor much older than her years. She plays sexy, seductive, naive and scared. The most touching moments in the film are between her and Adam. At the heart of this entire film really is a love between two teenagers. And they manage to pull it off in such a way that isn't campy or eye rollingly bad. It's damn near perfect.
I would have appreciated a little bit tighter of an ending to the film as I wasn't sure of some character motivations and it just sort of wrapped up. Another scene or two tying the school project was what I was expecting but what the hell do I know. That said, by the time the credits rolled I'd completely enjoyed the ride that Everlasting took me on even though it wasn't a typical horror / slasher. Strong recommend.
Plot wise it's pretty straight forward. We know where we're going from the very beginning and it's just a matter of how we're going to get there. The film utilizes flashbacks and voice-over in a very effective way to tell the story. I'm not a huge fan of the found footage genre and while there's a ton of hand-held stuff here, Matt (Adam David) is a film student, its not overdone and doesn't get annoying. The time line jumps around quite a bit but it's not nearly as bad as say Lost and not nearly as difficult to follow as something like Memento.
The scenery here is breathtaking. Jesse & Matt are making their way from Denver to LA and they go through one of the most beautiful parts of the country and the film spares no expense showing us. They clearly did their homework here when it came to scouting locations. Not only do the places look great but the cast (especially the ladies – more on that later) look amazing. This is due not only to the fact that it's full of pretty people but their attire fits the film to a "T". Special shout out to Costume Designer Alycia Belle, Production Designer Candi Guterres and Makeup Artist Kristina Ellery – top notch.
The cast here is superb. Everyone delivers their lines in a manner that doesn't seem forced or out of place (one of my biggest pet peeves with the films I've been watching recently). Nearly everyone in the film from Jesse's mother (Elisabeth Röhm) to Bai Ling's Christine fit their roles like a glove. Robert LaSardo as Rocky is a face that you'll recognize even if you don't know the name and he brings a gravitas to a small role that was very welcome. Pat Healy as Henrique gives a performance that is flawless. He's creepy as hell and truly shows the underbelly of the world that Jesse has walked into.
But the stars of the film are clearly Matt (Adam David) and Jesse (Valentina de Angelis). Matt is hurting for the majority of the film as he's telling the story of his dead girlfriend. His motivations are clear and you can see the pain and pleasure on his face. He does give off a very strong 'Ricky Fits' vibe more than once (the camera guy from American Beauty) but that's to be expected as he's holding a camera for most of the movie. I'm not quite sure I would have acted the same way he did in certain situations but I can't say any of his choices were "wrong".
And I've saved the best for last Valentina. To say I'm smitten would be an understatement. Let's get something out of the way. She's hot. Like crazy hot. But that's not what I'm talking about. She gives an amazing performance here. When they went scouting for the role of Jesse they hit the jackpot. The journey that this character goes through from beginning to end is heartbreaking and de Angelis shows every emotion with a flare and experience of an actor much older than her years. She plays sexy, seductive, naive and scared. The most touching moments in the film are between her and Adam. At the heart of this entire film really is a love between two teenagers. And they manage to pull it off in such a way that isn't campy or eye rollingly bad. It's damn near perfect.
I would have appreciated a little bit tighter of an ending to the film as I wasn't sure of some character motivations and it just sort of wrapped up. Another scene or two tying the school project was what I was expecting but what the hell do I know. That said, by the time the credits rolled I'd completely enjoyed the ride that Everlasting took me on even though it wasn't a typical horror / slasher. Strong recommend.