Jethica Review

Jethica review.

Jethica packs a lot of ideas into a very short run time. Smart, funny and at times strangely moving…it’s a gem that shouldn’t remain hidden.

New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.

Jethica

Directed by Pete Ohs

Written by Andy Faulkner, Callie Hernandez, Will Madden, Pete Ohs and Ashley Denise Robinson

Starring Callie Hernandez, Ashley Denise Robinson, Andy Faulkner and Will Madden

Jethica Review

I’ve never seen a movie quite like Jethica.  I don’t just mean in plot or in some of the ideas it throws out…many of which were extremely fresh.  What I mean is that I’ve never seen a movie as short (72 minutes) that has so many interesting ideas.  Normally a movie that shifts into as many forms will be overwhelmed by them even in a movie twice as long.  Jethica is perfectly paced because of them.

Elena (Callie Hernandez) is hiding in New Mexico after hitting a man with her car.  When her old friend, Jessica (Ashley Denise Robinson), comes to town she brings along troubles of her own.  Jessica’s stalker shows up at their doorstep.  This would be bad enough on its own…but he also happens to be dead.

Jethica has some of the more interesting thoughts on death that I’ve seen a movie take.  It’s almost dismissive of things like murder and ghosts as any kind of a big deal.  This immediately gives the movie a specific tone and a light-hearted, funny take on some serious issues.  But it also has some surprisingly poignant things to say about the afterlife.  On paper, these ideas appear to be a little conflicting.  Jethica manages to make it all feel just right.

Before we know exactly what kind of movie Jethica is going to be…it does an effective job of unsettling us.  The stalker is unnerving…as a stalker should be.  He babbles incoherently about his love for Jessica…similar to the litany of video message he’s sent to Jessica’s phone.  Jessica has a hard time believing that this man has tracked her down in New Mexico.  Mostly because he’s dead.

So, Jethica is a ghost story.  It uses something already scary in reality to imbue its ghost with preternatural terror.  It uses effective imagery of Jessica seeing the stalker, yelling for her, at every corner as she drives down a dark road.  And then Jethica switches to something new.  A ghost story where no one is afraid of ghosts.

From here Jethica introduces new ideas about how to deal with a ghost problem.  There are some interesting, and funny, things in the second act of the film.  From the stalker wrestling with his non-existence to resurrecting another ghost to do battle with him.  Elena and Jessica remain stoic about the whole thing…which only raises the quiet absurdity of the whole thing.  They are as unimpressed by the existence of ghosts as they are dismissive in their own roles in creating them.

Jethica isn’t done changing yet.  It eventually morphs into an oddly moving discussion of loneliness, the afterlife and the power of friendship.  In just 72 minutes Jethica changes gears successfully three or four different times.  It consistently surprises not only in where it’s going…but how seamlessly it gets there.  Combining great ideas into a unique narrative while never letting one overstay their welcome.

The cast is terrific.  The two leads deadpan everything brilliantly.  The stalker, of all people. is the character that goes on the biggest journey of personal growth.  Will Madden does a fantastic job with a role that shows him in varying degrees of insanity.  There shouldn’t be much to care about in his character.  Sick or not, he did awful things when he was alive.  Madden finds a place with the character that we can sympathize with in death.  That’s no small feat.

It does open up some questions, or perhaps interpretations, about what Jethica is saying about death and forgiveness.  About loneliness, sadness and the afterlife.  Having Elena and Jessica downplay so many of these big moments is such an interesting choice.  It makes Jethica a unique experience about big things painted on a small canvas.  A one-of-a-kind movie that everyone should carve out 72 minutes for.

Scare Value

I never figured out why the movie is called Jethica. That’s about my only complaint with what was a surprisingly fulfilling movie. Large ambitions on a small canvas, Jethica not only doesn’t get crushed under the weight of its ideas…it thrives on them. Top notch performances, a pitch perfect dark comedy tone and surprisingly emotional payoffs combine to deliver a great movie.

4/5

Jethica Links

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Jethica Trailer

If you enjoyed this review of Jethica, check out other new release reviews Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey and Attachment