Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews

Written and Directed by Christopher MacBride
Starring Dylan O’Brien, Maika Monroe, Hannah Gross, Amanda Brugel, Emory Cohen, Keir Gilchrist, Constantine Meglis

Flashback is the story of Fredrick (O’Brien) who, when his mother is lost into hospice, begins to see hallucinations involving Cindy (Monroe) he knew, liked and got high with while in High School. The story tries to serve as a multi dimensional warning against drugs, and ends up as something like Traffic, if it had been stalled on one scene.

The majority of the film flashes annoyingly between Fred in the present and in High School, where he went from good kid to a drugged out blank stare. He begins a quest to find out what happened to Cindy. Along the way, there are reunions with unhelpful “friends.” who mainly tell him to forget the girl. That just makes him try all the harder to break on through to the other side of his life.

The connection made in the end will either resonate with the viewer or just show you how little this film is trying to say. It missed the mark for me, mainly for the way they waste Hannah Gross, as the hapless, faithful wife.

There is entirely too much flashing, and not enough here for which to back. You know something is missing when all you can think is how much better the subject and formula have been covered before as you remember with fondness, Sam Kinison screaming:

“Glad you fuckers can handle your high!“

(** out of *****)