I had a personal interest in this indie horror movie, which was written by and stars some people I admire from the pro wrestling community.

What’s It About? A young couple, Ada and Calvin, travel to Ada’s rural hometown to try and sort out some issues – but once they get there, they find that something’s not right…

STRAIGHT UP: I wanted more than this film could give me. 3/5

What I Liked

Dustin Runnels as Preacher Woodward – Runnels, best known as WWE’s Goldust, comes across as a genuine movie star here. He’s the most compelling actor and definitely the creepiest character our heroes encounter.

Jill Thompson as Aunt Lindsay – A wild-eyed Aunt Lindsay is central to the film’s first spooky scenes, and Thompson does a great job setting the tone.

Sensible protagonists – In a refreshing change of pace, Ada and Calvin recognize the danger they’re in and take reasonable steps to protect themselves. The fun part is, that isn’t enough to keep them safe.

Keeping things in perspective – The last half-hour of the movie is full of hints at something bigger and darker going on behind the scenes than even the protagonists are aware of. I respect the decision not to tell the audience any more than Ada and Calvin would know, even if I personally want to hear all about the dark rituals and hooded figures in the background.

What I Disliked

Indie-riffic production values – Everything you’d expect from a stereotypical indie film is here. Long, meandering exposition? Lots of out-of-focus backgrounds and actor close-ups? Slightly stilted acting? Soundtrack full of folk rock and spirituals? Check and double-check. I know some of this comes with the territory, but I’m not obligated to like it.

The ending – This movie would’ve been just fine with the tidy finale that it nearly delivers. Instead, a couple of scenes in the closing minutes add a whole unnecessary layer of confusing weirdness that robs the story of any sense of resolution.

Just too short – After all the build-up, some things just don’t get paid off. The protagonists only spend about 45 minutes in Ada’s hometown, leaving the scariest parts of the film feeling a little rushed. In particular, some plot elements presented as significant – a strange jade coin, the fearsome Uncle Davis – get lost in the details and never receive proper attention.

CLOSING THOUGHT: Production values alone don’t determine the final fate of a film. There are some low-budget pictures that manage to transcend their status and deliver game-changing experiences. Meet Me There is, unfortunately, not one of those films. That isn’t to say it’s bad – it’s a reasonably well-told story that generally makes the best of what it’s got, despite its share of technical shortfalls. It also has Goldust, which is more than many indie movies can say. However, it also feels limited by its budget – like there’s a bigger, more complex story in there that we aren’t getting because there weren’t enough resources to go around. While it’s not the worst thing to be left wanting more, I still end up disappointed.