Ben Nissen helms the consistently provocative Nowhere Mind, a film that ultimately harnesses the power and the elusive definition of consciousness. It's a great concept which soon develops into a great piece of storytelling.

Our protagonist in this literal mind-bender is Ivan - played with efficacy by Patriac Coakley - who suffers from a mental disorder that has him coming off the spool. Hope is often borne of desperation, and Ivan soon pursues meditation in a battle with his own head. He meets a girl, of course - Emily, played wonderfully by Casey Sears - and after a round of interplay, he finds she's engaged to friend from his past - John, as acted by Andrew Graves. As Ivan and Emily keep each other off to the side, Ivan signs up for a trip to the mountains with John, as Ivan believes it may help his head to breathe. It's this trip - literal and figurative - that Nissen shrewdly uses to manipulate his film deeper in and out of its headspace themes. It's also the point at which the film becomes truly immersive.

As Nissen steers us to an ending that proves both cunning and none-too-devoid of pathos, we realize that as a director, he's had us in his trippy grasp from the get-go. Nowhere Mind is ambitious storytelling executed at high level.

A friend of mine turned me on to this movie... and boy am I glad that they did. This is such a good film. I loved Ivan and really felt for him as he battled, dealt with his demons. This film has a good story and looks really good. The cinematographer knew what they were doing. I thoroughly enjoyed the wilderness excursion that Ivan and John went on... w/o giving anything away, I liked how the director built the tension. For me, I liked this film and proudly award it 5 stars!

Nowhere Mind is a tense slow-burn of a movie. The plot concerns Ivan who becomes reacquainted with an old friend, Emily, and the two hook up. Ivan and Emily start a relationship, but Emily is still engaged to their friend John. Later, John invites Ivan on a hiking trip deep into the woods, just the two of them, in lieu of some sort of bachelor party. The tension increases dramatically as Ivan wonders if John knows about him and Emily. Adding a layer of mystery and confusion to the matter is Ivan's unusual illness that causes paranoid episodes that Ivan tries to combat with unusual experimental meditation practices.

I definitely enjoyed the ride watching this film. There were so many elements that made me feel nervous and tense throughout the film, but always wanting more. I felt my heart nervously racing throughout the film just imagining myself in Ivan's shoes. The score is particularly effective as well -- compliments to the composer! The filming locations are also incredibly gorgeous and heighten the cinematography. All of this is that much more commendable knowing that this is an indie film. Ultimately, I found Nowhere Mind to be a highly effective suspense film that I would recommend to anyone.