It's rare that I encounter an utterly useless film with no redeeming qualities to justify spending valuable time on it. Bad acting, bad script, bad ending, bad everything. Amateurish filmaking at its worst. I don't even know why it's on Amazon Prime.
29 Reviews
Ending Drags It Down
anthonyender10 May 2023
If you're okay with a flick that is "fairly good" and "almost works" then you might give this one a shot. It's a simple set-up, super low budget with only three actors in one setting (and some driving scenes) and for the first two thirds is where it qualifies as "fairly good". With only three actors it's a shame when one of them struggles more than the others, but one of them is pretty good so it balances out. The location is visually striking although the director doesn't really take advantage of it, and it held my interest for the most part. The weak link was definitely the screenplay. The characters aren't consistent (which only makes sense for one of them) and the dialogue is spare and rather bland. There's not enough being said or done to make a truly gripping psychological thriller, it more or less just plods along. But I kept watching, waiting to see where it would go, but unfortunately it completely falls apart at the end. Basically the script doesn't really do anything with it's set-up and then everybody starts behaving stupidly just so there can be an actual climax. For two thirds of this short little flick it couldn't commit to being a mystery, or a character piece, and then in the last ten minutes tries to be all of the above, plus maybe a thriller, maybe a crime flick, maybe a supernatural thingy, maybe a symbolic representation on the impossibility of truthful relationships. It was a 6.5/10 until the climax then I have to drop it down to a 4. But you might be more tolerant.
Disappointing
amandajeanstone9 August 2018
Visually breathtaking, displaying the rugged Cape in all its glory, but the story is pointless and boring. Why do South African movies tend to disappoint so often with painfully bad acting and ambiguous storylines when we have such terrific actors and directors in this country? Being proudly South African myself I always look forward to sitting down and watching a movie straight out of my home country with issues and places I can relate to, but then I end up disappointed. There are only rare exceptions to those experiences with movies such as Chappie and District 9 and even though my understanding of the Afrikaans language isn't great, Afrikaans movies tend to be much better as well as those acted by our black actors regarding issues relating to their experiences. Faith Like Potatoes was another rare exception - totally wonderful movie. Girl From Nowhere just lets one down with a dragged out plot and pointless ending. Maybe I should have smoked a joint while watching it so I could gain more clarity perhaps? What a waste of the last hour and a half.
Wow So Bad
vampture21 January 2020
1:25:00 of poor execution.
guitardo-674275 February 2020
Movie was more of a camera study than a movie. Cliche and unbelievable script and story line. Editing left story line extremely uneven. Character development was non existent. Landscapes were the only thing interesting and even that was overshadowed by all the flaws. Clearly low budget.
Biggest load of trash I have seen in years
markvanheythuysen11 October 2020
Embarrassing
scottwilkiesally11 June 2020
I'm from cape town and live in Australia.i wish this could get taken off amazon prime it's embarrassing to watch. Cannot believe these people actually went to acting classes. Come on south africa you have some really good movies out there
Never Pick Up Hitchhikers!!!
bcarruthers-7650011 February 2019
A general rule of the thumb in South Africa (where I lived for 12 years is never pick up hitchhikers because you never know who you are inviting into your life. So its surprising when Cape Town couple, Katherine and Hugh learn this lesson the hard way when they pick up a young girl carrying a rucksack, hitchhiking along the road to their mountain getaway. Wearing "Daisy Duke" denim hot pants and an air of confidence Liza entices them both down the path of temptation leading to disastrous consequences.
What is this beautiful soul robber doing, standing all alone in the natural wilderness that surrounds her? Where has she come from? A lot of questions need answering. Things begin to come clear when Liza tells them that she's from " nowhere" and that walking's been a"blast" with sarcasm but that changes when she finds out who they are and what they do as they head to their weekend getaway home set amidst the Cederberg.
Girl from Nowhere is Mark Jackson's first full-length feature is South Africa's first attempt to follow the genre of "The girl..." with lots of saucy "bits" and plenty of tension. With this being an indie-erotic thriller, naturally there's going to be a lot of flirting, though Kate and Hugh are oblivious to the danger they've brought into their lives. This story involves 3 people and a gun.
Kate (Tamryn Speirs), is looking for for a change of life in life. She is a movie producer working on a script that Hugh has written, with Hugh as a star. Kate becomes fascinated with Liza, despite being jealous of her infatuation with Hugh.
Hugh (Scot Cooper), on the other hand is a young aspiring actor in TV commercials (with rather narcissistic traits), who's told his wife he's filming in the area, and wants to get ahead in the game, no matter what the costs.
The trio is rounded off by Liza (Christia Visser), South Africa's answer to Lolita perhaps? She is a feisty, manipulative, quick witted girl who has trouble on her face from the minute you meet her. She'd actually been in one of Master actress Tamryn's classes and identified as a potential star. Tamryn introduced her to Mark, who then gave her this, her first movie part while she was still at acting school. Watching her in action, it's easy to see why.
This movie, with it's super gritty South African soundtrack by Nicholas Turner and Jonny Blundell cost Mark Jackson 4 years of his time. It was filmed open ai in the beautiful Cederberg region of the Western Cape of South Africa without almost any help whatsoever. It was shot in 13 days on a budget of less than R400,000, $300,000 (@ R1= 0.73c.
11/2/19) but spent three years in post production.
Brian Carruthers
Letdown
ianglenn-917707 December 2018
Good, but miscategorized
kartreskalai1 April 2019
I saw the awful reviews but decided to try the movie anyway, because it sounded different from the typical gore horror or psych terror or techno thriller. I'm glad that I did. It is in fact none of those things, although it ends up listed in those categories. I think that may be a reason for the bad reviews. If you're expecting gore, jump scares, psychological terror, or action adventure, you'll be disappointed.
What it is, and does a good job of being, is a slice-of-life picture of three people stuck together in an unexpected situation, how they interact, and how it changes their lives. The actors do a great job of portraying the characters and how they react to each other and their circumstances. There's a tension between the 3-way simultaneous conflicts and attractions. There's also a nice little twist revealed at the end, and the closing kind of completes a circle back to the beginning, which is a nice touch. Overall, it was a good experience.
I would've liked a little more background on the characters. While they are solidly-played, you get a few interesting hints to their backgrounds that are never really explored. But the movie is already a bit slow compared to typical action-oriented movies; more exposition could've lengthened it perhaps too much. So while I'd've liked to see more of that, maybe they did the right thing by cutting or not adding it.
What it is, and does a good job of being, is a slice-of-life picture of three people stuck together in an unexpected situation, how they interact, and how it changes their lives. The actors do a great job of portraying the characters and how they react to each other and their circumstances. There's a tension between the 3-way simultaneous conflicts and attractions. There's also a nice little twist revealed at the end, and the closing kind of completes a circle back to the beginning, which is a nice touch. Overall, it was a good experience.
I would've liked a little more background on the characters. While they are solidly-played, you get a few interesting hints to their backgrounds that are never really explored. But the movie is already a bit slow compared to typical action-oriented movies; more exposition could've lengthened it perhaps too much. So while I'd've liked to see more of that, maybe they did the right thing by cutting or not adding it.
Taut psychological drama
darren-630476 July 2020
Girl from Nowhere is a mystery thriller. It starts with a Cape Town couple giving an unknown hitchhiker, Liza a ride and welcoming her to their mountain getaway afterwards. But they can't seem to get rid of her. The place is secluded and with a mysterious outsider, it already seems like a recipe for disaster. The cast isn't that big but the trio gave an amazing performance. Especially Christina Visser who played the role of Liza perfectly. Liza is the wild card in this story as she hides about herself and seduces both of them. Besides the suspenseful storytelling, the cinematography was excellent. Even if there wasn't much variety of locations but they showed off many aspects of the locations with well-executed camera shots. With its low budget, the indie film managed to make use of its resources and shot the film. The soundtrack fitted the atmosphere. This psychological drama has a lot of twists so get ready to expect the unexpected.
Amateurish but interesting
nadblaster5 September 2021
The story goes in a lot of very weird directions, the writing is abysmal, and the characters are one-dimensional, but it's still an okay way to spend an hour and a half. Liza gets a little more interesting as she opens up, but the story itself is disconnected and clearly has absolutely no idea what it's trying to say. Great eye candy in the landscapes, at least; rolling hills, rocky crags and beautiful veldt as far as the eye can see. And Liza isn't that bad to look at either.
More amateurish than many TikTok clips
emiliano99922 May 2021
Looks like a movie school project and the most interesting part of this are the landscapes. There is a lack of production values here that could make any adult entertaining crew to blush.
Not a single shade of resemblance of a story here.
The cameraman seems more interested in chase those good looking girls taking shots at their legs and arse at any single chance but there isn't more here to see (like a failed attempt to do an actual piece of adult entertaining).
A lot of padding secuences, this could have been a 20 minutes short easily.
There are some TikTok and Youtube videos better than this that take only some minutes.
So many people gave this vanity project more than 5 of 10 stars, some even dare to say this deserve a ten and I don't know if it's because some kind of trolling, prank, or whoever made it asked his friends and family to do it.
But, hey, these actresses are very good looking.
Not a single shade of resemblance of a story here.
The cameraman seems more interested in chase those good looking girls taking shots at their legs and arse at any single chance but there isn't more here to see (like a failed attempt to do an actual piece of adult entertaining).
A lot of padding secuences, this could have been a 20 minutes short easily.
There are some TikTok and Youtube videos better than this that take only some minutes.
So many people gave this vanity project more than 5 of 10 stars, some even dare to say this deserve a ten and I don't know if it's because some kind of trolling, prank, or whoever made it asked his friends and family to do it.
But, hey, these actresses are very good looking.
They had a good thing going but didn't know how to finish ..
feverish305 August 2020
I read all the reviews of this movie and I am somewhat in agreement but my take is that most reviewers are just bitter about how this movie ended.
The movie was fine up until the last 10 minutes where it just got stupid. It could have gone in so many different ways that could have satisfied viewers. I don't think they knew how to finish this movie. What they did finish with was ridiculous and nonsense. I would have been happier if the Girl turned into an alien and flew away .. that would have been more satisfying.
Having said all of that, I was liking it right up until that point.. I was sufficiently drawn in. Sorry guys, YOU BLEW IT.... you blew it.
The movie was fine up until the last 10 minutes where it just got stupid. It could have gone in so many different ways that could have satisfied viewers. I don't think they knew how to finish this movie. What they did finish with was ridiculous and nonsense. I would have been happier if the Girl turned into an alien and flew away .. that would have been more satisfying.
Having said all of that, I was liking it right up until that point.. I was sufficiently drawn in. Sorry guys, YOU BLEW IT.... you blew it.
Complete dud of a movie.
knowrouzi-2916430 April 2022
Unrealistic
johngramm-837297 July 2022
The movie was very disappointing and slow and the end was very unrealistic. I would never have done the things he did and would not have allowed it to happen to me (I don't want to give anything away, or I would write more.). I can't believe this movie was made but I guess a movie will be made no matter how bad it is.
The power of a beautiful woman, even if she's a devil within
Wuchakk19 November 2019
A couple from Cape Town traveling to their desert getaway (Scot Cooper & Tamryn Speirs) picks up a beautiful girl curiously hitchhiking the remote highway (Christia Visser). They invite her to their hideaway, but might regret it.
"Girl from Nowhere" (2017) is an Indie psychological drama from South Africa costing $203,000 (converted). Aside from the mental dramatics, it proficiently focuses on the beauty of the South African desert wilderness and that of Liza (Christia Visser) mixed with quality eclectic folk/rock reminiscent of stuff by the likes of Orenda Fink and Ane Brun.
It explores the same theme addressed in "Afternoon Delight" (2013), the spellbinding power of a beautiful woman who might be a devil within. Liza has a body sculptured by God himself, and this is a highlight of the flick, but her attitude is a big red flag, not to mention a turn-off.
The acting isn't great, but it's serviceable for a low-budget Indy. The positives noted above made me appreciate the flick, but the last act is too freestyled, like director/writer Mark Jackson & the cast made a lot of it up as they were shooting. Nonetheless, the ending makes a powerful point that's true to reality.
The film runs 1 hour, 25 minutes, and was shot in Cederberg, Western Cape, South Africa, about 2 hours' drive north of Cape Town.
GRADE: B-/C+
"Girl from Nowhere" (2017) is an Indie psychological drama from South Africa costing $203,000 (converted). Aside from the mental dramatics, it proficiently focuses on the beauty of the South African desert wilderness and that of Liza (Christia Visser) mixed with quality eclectic folk/rock reminiscent of stuff by the likes of Orenda Fink and Ane Brun.
It explores the same theme addressed in "Afternoon Delight" (2013), the spellbinding power of a beautiful woman who might be a devil within. Liza has a body sculptured by God himself, and this is a highlight of the flick, but her attitude is a big red flag, not to mention a turn-off.
The acting isn't great, but it's serviceable for a low-budget Indy. The positives noted above made me appreciate the flick, but the last act is too freestyled, like director/writer Mark Jackson & the cast made a lot of it up as they were shooting. Nonetheless, the ending makes a powerful point that's true to reality.
The film runs 1 hour, 25 minutes, and was shot in Cederberg, Western Cape, South Africa, about 2 hours' drive north of Cape Town.
GRADE: B-/C+
Very intriguing
laurence-6283420 September 2018
Mesmerising visuals and intelligent script
hanniheinrich31 August 2020
Girl from Nowhere is many things: a gripping tale of loyalty and betrayal in a triangle relationship. It is also an adventure story showing South Africas beautiful wilderness and that of the three characters. A couple picks up a female hitchhiker and the three are stuck in a house in the middle of nowhere. There is tension. There is fear, doubt, jealousy and a tiny bit of erotic interaction.
The way the three interact changes their behaviour and eventually their lives. Nothing will ever be the same again...
Some scenes reference feminist topics (Don't be be mislead by the hot pants. Really listen to the words), which made me enjoy the movie even more. In my opinion there could be more of those, as the main girl is portrayed as an independent strong woman. However, I really enjoyed the on-point script. The characters feel real and believable; I enjoyed Scot Cooper portraying his character Hugh very well, internally battling with whom he'd like to pursue.
As a German I recognised the cultural South African elements like a Braai or certain local words, which transported me immediately to South Africa. Girl from Nowhere is a wonderful movie to watch. With its grind-house feel it is visually mesmerising and the quality folk/rock music emphasises the mood of the story. It is not a fast paced mainstream movie. It is rhythmical and has an intelligent script. Totally worth watching. Well done to cast and crew, waiting for the next one!
Some scenes reference feminist topics (Don't be be mislead by the hot pants. Really listen to the words), which made me enjoy the movie even more. In my opinion there could be more of those, as the main girl is portrayed as an independent strong woman. However, I really enjoyed the on-point script. The characters feel real and believable; I enjoyed Scot Cooper portraying his character Hugh very well, internally battling with whom he'd like to pursue.
As a German I recognised the cultural South African elements like a Braai or certain local words, which transported me immediately to South Africa. Girl from Nowhere is a wonderful movie to watch. With its grind-house feel it is visually mesmerising and the quality folk/rock music emphasises the mood of the story. It is not a fast paced mainstream movie. It is rhythmical and has an intelligent script. Totally worth watching. Well done to cast and crew, waiting for the next one!
A little slow but not as bad as expected
fsuelwood11 December 2022
Found this movie this morning as I was unable to sleep and hopped on Tubi looking for a decent movie. The review score was not that high but I took a chance. This movie was good overall. I think the scenery was the best overall aspect of the film. The cast did as best as they could, and the end felt rushed and an almost "well, we are out of money" situation. The character of Liza did the best overall but the male actor did well if he was attempting to portray an idiot.
Overall, I would recommend to watch if you find yourself with nothing else left on your catch-up list or want to take a chance.
Overall, I would recommend to watch if you find yourself with nothing else left on your catch-up list or want to take a chance.
Great gritty indie film
SarahL321730 October 2018
I really enjoyed this film that seemed in the middle of nowhere. Only 3 characters and a gun, a very good concept. The movie gives you a good sense of what the characters are going through in their intimate environment. Movies like this are rare with straightforward storytelling. The look of the movie is great with its grindhouse feel. The actors you can see are talented, though they needed a bit more to work with script wise. But overall an intriguing watch, and a movie that lingers.
From everywhere
kosmasp29 October 2022
No pun intended - a lucky or unlucky encounter of some kind or another. And some powerplay stuff - gender reversal and general relationship stuff getting uncovered. Is it ok to be free to live the way you want to live? How much can you belittle someone before you have to face consequences? All valid things to ask and question.
Acting is .. well you may not feel that there is much to it. But I think it decent and ok for the type of movie that is. Also this only having a small amount of actors involved makes you wonder if in a time where movies where made like this because of covid, if we check when the movie was made (this had nothing to do with Corona in case you are wondering, being shot way before this became an issue).
There is some nudity and there is a lot of talking ... there are annoying situations ... and there are many insecurities and other stuff coming up ... not all things you may care about ... suspension of disbelief is very important.
Acting is .. well you may not feel that there is much to it. But I think it decent and ok for the type of movie that is. Also this only having a small amount of actors involved makes you wonder if in a time where movies where made like this because of covid, if we check when the movie was made (this had nothing to do with Corona in case you are wondering, being shot way before this became an issue).
There is some nudity and there is a lot of talking ... there are annoying situations ... and there are many insecurities and other stuff coming up ... not all things you may care about ... suspension of disbelief is very important.
A good film.
alloydclaims1 January 2021
You give it a 1? I'll give it a 10. Now we're both dumb.
brandonlewissmu25 February 2021
Me giving this film a 10 is just as absurd as you giving this movie a 1...and honestly, I can't understand giving it less than a 5. Are there negatives? Definitely. The dialogue is shaky at times. Also, the plot just doesn't go far enough. It's never boring..but until the last 20 minutes or so (which are awesome) you just want more to happen.
I'm in the obvious minority who really liked the film. I loved the girl, the setting, and the story.
7/10 but let's call it a 10 since apparently it's cool to go extreme with the ratings on this one. Dummies.
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