Another Version of You (2018) Poster

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6/10
very good indie movie
natcalgary25 December 2019
Sometime parallel universe movies try to do to much leaving the viewer confused and with a lot of questions in the end.

This movie was not like that. It kept everything fairly simple and the story line, although a little predictable, kept me interested throughout.

The acting was done well and I very much enjoyed this quirkly little gem

6.8
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6/10
Interesting idea, average 'quirky indie comedy with exspensive gear' film
Rob-O-Cop26 November 2019
*****Updated***** I think I may have been a little bit mean on this film. I still didn't really like the lead actor and DID like the idea so much I wish it had a more resources directed toward it, but in the world of current film making it's not half bad. It did have a great story idea, good editing production standards and pace.

This could have been a really good film idea if it hadn't been made by a writer/director with a limited budget and friends in film school and connections with good equipment. We see far too many well made, poorly acted, written and realised films and this is another one of those that almost should have stayed unmade until it could be taken to a level that is deserving of a wider audience and the interesting concept at its center.

It is not without merit at all though, and the script does move around at a pace enough to keep interest, but the main flaw is the blandness of the central character and his quest for desirability from the object of his desire which he clearly never deserves. He's just not an interesting person, mopes for the duration of the movie and seems to be more about the perfection of his hair management than the inner turmoil of character and the unfairness of his unrequited love. Seriously, how does he travel for that long without daily trips to the hair manicurist? He's all sculpted hipster beard with an ugly cardigan and trousers, over stated acting (his 'contented exhale' as he finishes typing his novel on his vintage typewriter should have told the director his delivery was killing the film as was the overt style over substance of the aforementioned vintage typewriter, ugly cardigan and gariish trousers he chose to go dimensional traveling in???, and indie fair trade barista on a lime scooter sculpted beard and hair cut, all detracting from a good human story of desire and consequence), all highlighting the lack of subtlety and the depth that the story could and should have been delivering. it's like a read through of a script, filmed on the first take and left there, although most of the females characters do much better in their roles than Diggsy. You can't help but wonder how good this movie could have been with a likable main character and some personality traits that make him worthy of the women around him. We never see him in anything other than annoying mode, even with his adoring sister, let alone the other ladies well above his class. Was that the point? It made for a less enjoyable film if it was. So not a horrible movie if you can tolerate the averageness of the central character's performance, and technically a well made film by a skilled crew on a good story idea that could have achieved greatness, but fell somewhere in-between.
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6/10
The issues with this film
Mykewood25 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Ok. This films has a great premise. Unfortunately Diggsy is a neurotic entitled jerk & Suzette starts off as a series of 1-dimensional female movie tropes. And all of that is vividly highlighted when Gwyneth enters the film. She's charming, funny, sweet, beautiful, & quirky. She's completely interesting, highlighting how bland & uninteresting Diggsy is. Then that universe's version of Suzette shows up & she's now a 3-dimensional character. You actually feel for her. Then he comes across another version of Daphne & you see how great a character she is. So it's just him. He isn't likable or relatable. I don't know if it's how he's written or the actor, but Diggsy is a terrible lead character for this otherwise interesting film.
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Yes! Finally!
Dagecko27 November 2019
YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS MOVIE!!! After watching other short movies by Motke and Ryan Hartsock before I couldn't wait to see what they did with a full feature, needless to say I've been waiting for the release of Another Version of you for awhile - I was not disappointed. The twist on inter-dimensional travel coupled with simplistic search for Suzette to just love him back was at times heartbreaking and edge of your seat hopeful at others. I started to root for him so much that before you know it his journey starts to feel like your own. I hate spoilers in reviews so I won't share my favorite moments of the film I will tell you this, I excited to share this movie with my wife, I'm glad I didn't need a key to find her...
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6/10
Will Smith in The Matrix
mattoid-4560516 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I wanted to really like this movie but by the end, I was glad it was over. It was one of those flix where you check how much time is left in it or grab your phone. It wasn't bad but didn't leave me bowled over either. The acting was ok. The story was somewhat interesting. The message ultimately reminded me of The Time Machine remake. No matter what, you can't always have what you want and sometimes you just need to accept the reality of certain things. What particularly bothered me was the main characters motivation. If you have the ability to travel through different realities but your focus is a chick? Think of the possibilities! I guess I'm personally too curious. I would spend time in each universe studying it's history, politics and pop culture! I know. I know. Not the point of the movie. Also, and I realize this is nit picking but his hair and beard were always perfect! He was basically homeless and walking around everywhere yet his clothes were always spotless! Another thing. The montage scenes felt really long and very cliche. I also noticed the writer/director put himself in there as the "roommate". The whole thing just seemed a bit self indulgent. All in all, worth a watch I guess. You'll know if you want to stick with it after about 30 minutes or so.
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7/10
Story lite
Jackbv12319 January 2024
This movie had great story elements. The outline must have been a 10 star story. But not enough is filled in. I saw in another review that the writer had done shorts before this and that makes sense. This is a short movie stretched out to fill 96 minutes. The beginning is a good setup, although I wasn't thrilled with the phone messages scene. There is an early sequence with Gwen which sets up the climax. The middle has a good twist when he meets his sister. That section was interesting. There is a touching moment between that scene and the reality that runs to the climax. The build up to the climax was just what was needed and the climax had another great twist.

There were moderately long sequences with no dialogue or human interaction. The story didn't develop. After Diggsy first begins his adventure, the story races through one reality or universe after another in a jumble, but that doesn't last too long. Actually this could have been filled out with some character development. Sequences with no progression happen over and over including right after the climax. It runs basically to one brief interaction at the end. The very last shot is another surprise because they had previously obscured a key detail. I wanted to say it was a contradiction, a goof, but looking back I just didn't realize what happened immediately after the climax.

Diggsy. What a name. You might expect a guy with that name to be a loser, and he is. His character doesn't really develop, even up to the climax although there is a stretch that focuses on that period and reality.

If you want to watch a really good 30 minute short that is stretched into 96 minutes, this is it. So disappointed. I rate it higher than I should because of the story outline.
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5/10
Like a bad episode of "Sliders"
imdb-2021212 July 2020
Yeah, bad episode of "Sliders", I said it. And that show had some real stinkers.

My main gripe is that the guy simply has no redeeming qualities. All I could think is that, yeah, Suzette was right to be with someone else, because this dude is just bland. He makes terrible choices, and it was predictable from the beginning that he was going to make more terrible choices as the movie one.

I liked the concept, but the dialogue was pretty sad, the main character mopey, and I thought the editing, especially during some initial "montage" scenes, was just clumsy (when you see him initially traveling to different universes and meeting different Suzettes, etc). No cohesion there.

I wish it had been done better. Still, at least it was lit well, the camera work was fine, and the other female actors did a good job.
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8/10
A quirky, heartfelt comedy
ijstratton24 December 2019
Motke Dapp brings his film to life with a joy and excitement you can feel; you can tell he's having a blast making this. Although the plot is fairly straightforward, the extensive use of locations makes the movie feel bigger than the sum of its parts. Kris Wente brings the downtrodden Diggsy to life with relish, but it's Sara Antonio who steals the film with her multiple takes on Suzette; Antonio fills up each new variation with its own unique quirks. Overall, a solid rom-com.
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4/10
"Protagonist" must be a being of pure evil
rmmil6 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I'm a big fan of parallel universe theory films, and they can usually be done on a relatively small budget, so going into this film I kept my expectations low, but hoped for the best.

The plot is "fine", I guess? My biggest issue though is with (who you're supposed to believe) is the protagonist,, his entire motivation, the "incel" male fantasy that drives films like this, the way this film squandered a (potentially) cool idea, and the fact that the protagonist must be truly a being of pure evil (explanation below).

The lead is given an incredibly powerful tool, he can travel to other dimensions parallel to his own, but he uses it purely as an attempt to bed an attractive woman he's always been obsessed with. That's it. Also, these dimensions are surprisingly alike, it seems in alternate realities the only real difference between worlds are superficial hookups (who is dating who) and slang terms. Really, Will Smith stars in the Matrix Instead of Keanu Reeves, that's as creative as it gets.

As for the "incel" part, the lead's primary motivation is pretty "nice guy" in and of itself, but then he has very attractive women from alternate realities basically throw themselves at him, and he mostly brushes them off. A real guy like that wouldn't do that. He would bag anyone who gave him the time of day.

But all those issues aside, I would be fine with the overall product. No, my biggest issue is that the lead is either a complete sociopath who cares not about the repercussions of his actions, or is an idiot who doesn't ever think things thru.

Imagine all the helpless people he trapped in alternate universes, sometimes on purpose. They would know no one, would probably have a doppelgänger, and would be utterly lost. Through his actions the lead sentences countless individuals to a living Hell, and he even dated some of them! ;-)

A horror movie trapped in a romantic comedy.
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10/10
A movie with a big heart
paulbattenbough18 December 2019
This is such a great movie. I didn't know anything about it, I saw the title, liked the design aspect, font used in the titles; and read a short synopsis then dived in. A completely satisfying journey through parallel worlds with a hopelessly romantic man chasing the alternate version of woman of his dreams. In other hands this would not have worked. It had to have an ensemble cast that worked well to cover the myriad changes of worlds, and it was pitch perfect. Beautiful performances from them all. It helps of course to have a well written script and hip dialogue. I can imagine if this was given a big budget and big studio backing this would have ruined it. It has a soul that is very rare in movies. A terrific soundtrack too, and the music aids the transition between worlds and adds an emotional backdrop. I really can't speak more highly of the film. It's right up there with the best of Billy Wilder but really is incomparable to any other director. It has such pathos and an honesty and love, that is just absent from any Hollywood film of the 21st century I can think of. I've been raving to my friends about it, which I don't think I've ever done. Absolutely fantastic. Heartbreaking also to see that the film was dedicated to the memory of Brittany Belland one of the principal actors in the film. I shed a tear over that. Please let this movie into your life and feel it's life affirming goodness.
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5/10
Could have been so much better
christyteglo4 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I love themes like parallel universes. The idea was really interesting and could have really gone somewhere. However, the lead has no charisma. He's so bland, it's impossible to even root for him. A movie like this only works if the protagonist learns from his mistakes. Otherwise, he's just a jerk.

He decides to leave his whole life behind without even saying goodbye to his parents. If you're going to leave everything behind, you're going to make it worth it. Instead, even when he's making out with Suzette, he doesn't seem interested. That's literally why he threw his whole away and he's just like "ok fine." Then when Suzette is a bar tender and says she had a crush on him, he can't speak. Then he shows no interest in her at all, which is why she goes for the sister. After all this time and finding a Suzette who is single and likes him, he has learned nothing about going after the person you love and taking initiative.

Then after traveling for a long time, he is able to connect with his sister who he can be totally honest with and have a friend to share things with. In her world, her brother was dead so this is a huge deal for her. By morning, he's ready to sneak off. Like, you have all this time and you can't even spend a full day with your sister who is extremely happy to see you back from the dead? Talk about selfish jerk.

Then she gets trapped with him and she's just like "well, this is my life now. Better go shower." The lack of shock from everyone who believes he's traveling through parallel universes is not believable. People would be insanely shocked! The guy is so obsessed with Suzette that he shuts down the blonde and then let's her get stranded in another universe. Then at the end they make it look like he's interested in the girl at the bookshop but then he sees the blonde again. Dude can't make up his mind.

I just wish this movie had more realistic shock value. And I wish the lead wasn't so boring. After going through all that, you'd think he'd go hard on making changes to step up. Sure he finally finished his book and made some friends. But there should have been changes throughout and lessons learned. I don't know why any of these women liked him. He's a bump on a log. The best characters were the blonde and his sister.
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1/10
Boring
SunshineHillbilly7 June 2020
I am totally convinced that no one knows how to make a movie anymore. I have tried to watch at least two dozen recent movies on Prime and I have been bored to tears on all of them. On the average I have suffered through each of them 15 minutes before I hit the off button. This movie was no different, it suckered me in with an interesting description but then was anything but interesting.
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8/10
Fantastic Movie
ebelingnic26 November 2019
Very interesting concept and a well develop delivery of the story. Kept my attention and my emotions going.
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1/10
Total confusion
kq99926 November 2019
I have watched movies with very twisted plots and have always been able to follow them....BUT not this one. To give it a fair chance I started back at the point where I found it to be confusing and ran through it again...it didn't help. If anyone can make sense of this movie you are a better movie viewer than I am.
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9/10
The Perfect Stay-At-Home Date Movie
BonsaiCreativeEnterprises28 November 2019
My first thought after seeing this film was that it's just the type of movie we need right now. Its ensemble cast brought a little something for everyone and took us on a journey of love and introspection. Though the premise is built on magic and science fiction, it is strongly based in reality with its true-to-life characters and real human emotions. It wasn't too much nor too little of anything and that's what made it so satisfying.

Unlike so many films that oversaturate the screen with all-too-familiar tropes, Another Version of You takes those tropes and uses them to make the audience think just as much about themselves as they do about the characters on screen. They don't just hand the audience a sugar-dipped love story; instead, they offer a journey of self-discovery.

As a true romantic comedy, Another Version of You is the perfect stay-at-home date movie. As I mentioned before, it has something for everyone so couples can kick back and enjoy this one together. If you're looking for a break from the glut of horrors, dramas, and over-the-top comedies streaming to your tv, this is the perfect movie to bring you back to Earth (in multiple universes).

My hat goes off to the writer/director as well as to the cinematographer for this beautifully-shot film. It's not every day that you see an indie film look (and sound) this good. I will definitely recommend it to both friends and family as it hits the mark on so many levels. Well done!
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1/10
Boring movie that could have been phenominally interesting.
fluffchop19 December 2021
Firstly there are no parallel universes, it's pure fiction. The problem with the movie is that it is very boring. The character now enters a random existence passing from one universe to another. You'd think this would make for the most interesting movie imaginable. No it does not.
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Novel concept using parallel universes.
TxMike23 May 2021
I watched most of this movie wondering why the main character, a guy, was named Dixie. Then I finally figured out it was Diggsy! Anyway Diggsy was heartbroken when the love of his life married someone else and while in his funk a mysterious man gives him something and a note of explanation. It was a key that supposedly opened any door and when used that way it opens up a completely new, parallel universe. But once you step through there is no going back!

I have to give this movie a bit of extra credit for the novel concept. As Diggsy goes into various parallel universes he often discovers the same people he knew, except they were not the same people. It gets a bit complicated. Regardless the thrust of the inventive story is to allow Diggsy to learn about himself and what he really needs to do to find happiness.

Good movie for anyone who enjoys a completely different "what if". I watched it at home on Amazon streaming movies.
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5/10
Jumbled
svader1 December 2019
I didn't find the movie difficult to follow just boring to watch. Nil happens....
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9/10
A thoroughly enjoyable flight of fantasy with an earthly soul.
majidbhurgri-126 November 2019
Maker of the movie has taken a familiar concept, given it a few innovative twists and turns and the result is a fast paced, thoroughly enjoyable flight of fantasy with an earthly soul. The movie, let alone try to come up with any elaborate or grandiose explanation of how this travel between "parallel universes" is possible or works, does not even attempt to make sense of it. But it beautifully gets across the message of "what if" questions and their implications.

How another film maker would have handled the concept, paradoxically is the very subject of the movie. I found it a fun and thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying experience which despite apparent flight of fantasy, used as a medium, remains thoroughly tied to our earthly and normal existence and addresses the choices and dilemmas of life and how we choose to face and resolve these.
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9/10
A unique and delightful adventure
mattwilliamsonline31 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Masterfully shot, wonderfully acted, and beautifully composed (from set design, to wardrobe, to the score, and everything else). The creative wunderkind Motke Dapp is one of my favorite independent film directors. This project was an obvious labor of love from all involved. It's a delightful story of love and life's nuance set against a fantasy backdrop.
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8/10
Quirky movie that will tug heart strings
Snootz8 July 2020
Some viewers do not understand this movie... which honestly makes me wonder why they chose to watch it in the first place. It's not what one would call "cerebral fiction" that has to be analyzed.

Another Version of You is basically a romance / comedy / science-fantasy film that is very straight forward from beginning to end. It may not lead where one is expecting, but is certainly worth the journey.

This movie has heart, is enjoyable to watch from beginning to end, and doesn't have the problems many such films have of contradicting itself, leaving plot holes wide open, or making zero scientific sense. Most of all it doesn't employ endless, repetitious deja-vu. There is of course elements of such, but not to the point it becomes annoying; they serve more to tighten the film and make it more sensible.

The story line of the film-- given the subject matter-- is easily believable. The decisions the main character makes while not always wise, are exactly the kinds of things that might actually happen given these circumstances.

For those who didn't get it, hated it, missed the point, sorry but hey, it just wasn't your kind of film. The (current) 5.6 rating does not do this film justice. It is unique, different and tugs at the heart strings. Based on the plot it delivers in every aspect. The ending makes one think about all sorts of possibilities... which is exactly what this movie is all about: all sorts of possibilities.

What would you do if you had a key that lead to everywhere? What if you had an unlimited number of do-overs... and discovered that may not be best?

I don't know if this could be classified as a "brilliant" film... but it's certainly unique, different and thought-provoking.
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10/10
Didn't know what I was getting into..
Skyzzle4 November 2020
..when I first sat down to watch this. I came across this movie when scouring the streaming services for something to watch while in quarantine and at first I maybe paid half attention to it.. That changed very quickly and I had to start it over. Motke Dapp has really done something here. I won't go into the details of the movie itself as most of the other reviews take care of that. I'll just say it pulled me in and I was hooked. It's a refreshing spin on an age old story. The soundtrack really stands out - good luck finding one particular song out there. The style in which it is shot just works - it really is a beautiful film. Do yourself a favor and watch it - you can thank me (or I suppose Motke!) later.
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8/10
Love it ...
introact20 September 2021
Gives Groundhog Day a run for the money, until the pffft ending. Apparently, all possible realities are filled with young hipsters in quirky coffeehouses, though.

Strong performances by the central characters give this delightful what-if experiment an emotional core... and give us a reason to care about them.

Even the title has alternate meanings...
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9/10
Great movie
chinnodog15 July 2021
I thought I was turning on a B rate scifi flick of the kind I tend to watch when no one is around. It had a slow start but it turned into a good movie with ups and downs and an interesting plot. Turn it on for the scifi, watch it for the story!
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8/10
Not bad, enjoyable and mildly complex
matrixbear-736173 January 2021
Kristopher Wente is attractive, usefully bland (given the concept), and agreeable for the purpose of the story. If you're jumping between parallel worlds, keeping a low profile is survival (refer to RICK & MORTY as a example of getting too much bad attention in alternative realities). Essentially, if you've watch SLIDERS (during the decent early seasons) the plot concept is familiar. The plot device of Magic Key is used in THE LOST ROOM miniseries, much more like SLIDERS the key user has no precise control over ultimate destination but there's no ticking clock forcing you to move on. A person is seen differently by everyone they interact with. The "inner you" is not the "you" that your best friend or mom sees or even your coworkers, if you are "usefully bland" there is less attention and less danger. If you seek extra attention, you will stand out like a flashing light. The movie is more of a self-discovery journey where "danger" and "action" aren't the focus (Kristopher Wente as Diggsy is living a clean hobo lifestyle after his first dimension-stranding). The deeper ramifications are skipped for more casual adventures with mild hedonism. If they spin off sequels using the same plot device they could hit bigger question aspects. After all, there is no guarantee the other world population has oxygen at breathable levels or pressures, they could basically be monsters that mostly appear human or have horrifying histories. This plotline focuses on the lesser aspects of "trying to find a new world to enjoy bohemian tourist style with minimal risks", not running for one's life or sanity. Is Diggsy a evil person? Nah, Rick Sanchez kind of covered that, "one you realize you have infinite families they get valued considerably less", a bit selfish maybe, not clever enough to decode the magic/superscience plot device, but not stabbing strangers for giggles either.
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