SummarySt. Vincent sets out to make a documentary about her music, but when she hires a close friend to direct, notions of reality, identity, and authenticity grow increasingly distorted and bizarre.
Directed By:Bill Benz
Written By:Carrie Brownstein, St. Vincent
The Nowhere Inn
Metascore
Mixed or Average
60
User score
Generally Favorable
6.8
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
60% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
35% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Feb 1, 2020
83
At times a bit too enamored of these loose conceits, The Nowhere Inn sometimes registers as a cheap fuck-with-the-audience provocation that might have been better suited for a viral short (or several), but at its finest moments the movie conjures a singular vision steeped in zaniness, but not devoid of purpose.
Sep 17, 2021
75
Director Bill Benz (best known for episodes of Portlandia), Clark, and Brownstein have a good deal of fun playing the business side of show business—the documentary filmmaker trying to find a unique angle between concert footage, or the star having to take mundane questions from the press in each city she visits on tour. It both documents an identify crisis and doesn’t.
User score
Generally Favorable
63% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
38% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Sep 20, 2021
9
Possibly one of the most entertaining and well written identity crises I’ve seen on film. The Nowhere Inn challenges the concept of battling the difference between who we really are and who we portray ourselves to be, then flips the concept on it’s head and asks “Who are we if not our own creations?”. The film offers stunning visuals and concepts, while consistently offering some very quirky humor throughout it’s run. However I do strongly recommend anyone unfamiliar Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein to give them a quick read up on the internet prior to watching, as the film seems to be under the impression you know of them already and there are plenty of jokes and references to their works and personal lives that may not be understood by newcomers. Ironically the film may be self aware of this, as seen with the Limo intro “I’m not for everyone”, and Carrie stating the documentary is for the fans. It will be fair to say the film won’t be for everyone either, with it’s zany mix of comedy and drama, and Lynch inspired philosophical psychological horror on thrown on top of it, it may be a hard watch for those just wanting wanting a relaxing popcorn flick. However with it’s well crafted writing, visuals and directing, if you’re open to this rollercoaster ride, it may very well just stick with you for a while. Also surprisingly noteworthy performance from Annie Clark (St. Vincent), who changed her persona throughout the film on numerous occasions, and managed to pull in an array of emotions and feelings to her character.
Feb 1, 2020
70
The Nowhere Inn deeply explores the dynamic between performer and audience and performer with self. It does so in a way I’ve never seen before. It has so many layers that at some point, you get lost in the thick of it, but in a good way.
Sep 17, 2021
63
Plenty watchable and inspired from a visual standpoint, The Nowhere Inn is a less refined and less provocative relative of Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir, Brady Corbet's Vox Lux, or Robert Greene’s Kate Plays Christine.
Feb 1, 2020
60
As a ballad about a rock star’s soul, The Nowhere Inn is a fun riff performed on flimsy strings.
Sep 13, 2021
50
The film is elevated by funny, cleverly staged sequences, but it too often hammers the notion that fame destroys authenticity.
Feb 1, 2020
20
The Nowhere Inn . . . is a collection of comedic and musical sketches that are not funny, weird or thoughtful enough to sell its creators’ insistent, but mostly trite and undeveloped, ideas about the performative nature of self-fashioning and creative authenticity.
Jan 12, 2022
4
Between wanting to be a sort of meta-documentary/concert/drama film with horror overtones, The Nowhere Inn ends up empty-handed in an attempt full of undeveloped ideas that ultimately ends up saying absolutely nothing. I would've preferred a concert film. It would've been more exciting.
Production Company:
- Topic Studios
- Ways & Means
Release Date:Sep 17, 2021
Duration:1 h 32 m
Tagline:Identity is a work of art.
Awards
ReFrame
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Film Independent Spirit Awards
• 1 Nomination
