The title of this user comment would make a pretty cool name for a punk rock band, but it's primarily an apt two-word summary of the plot for "Memory Lane". This lowest budgeted Sci-Fi thriller in the history of cinema (I don't think I've ever seen a $300 movie before) may perhaps not be the most overwhelming genre debut ever, but it's definitely an admirable effort and the least you can say about Shawn Holmes is that he's a persistent, courageous, ambitious and respectable newcomer. He did pretty much everything by himself, including the catering service for his friends and acquaintances that are starring in the cast. The plot is reminiscent to the 90's classic "Flatliners" and equally borrows elements from other genre highlights, such as "Memento" and "TimeCrimes", but the film shows enough personality to stand on its own as a worthwhile outing. Shortly after his return from Afghanistan, the introvert soldier Nick Boxer falls head over heels in love with a mysterious girl named Kayla, whom he met on a bridge and prevented her from jumping
or so it seemed. Without really knowing anything about her, Nick asks her to marry him, but his world falls apart again a few days later when he finds her body in the bathtub with her wrists slit open. Nick undertakes a suicide attempt himself and his friends just narrowly manage to rescue him, but whilst floating between life and death he has a vision of the first encounter with Kayla that amplify some interesting details. He becomes obsessed with figuring out the true reason of her death, but this requires some more near-death experiences. It wouldn't be fair to simply label "Memory Lane" as a low-cost amateur effort, since Shawn Holmes clearly knows how to put together a good film. Knowing he didn't dispose of any budget for hi-tech special effects, he fully focused on a tight and intellectual screenplay with unpredictable plot twists and profound character drawings. Successfully, I may add, as "Memory Lane" remains compelling until the climax. The concept might be somewhat far-fetched, but the film never becomes overly grotesque or ridiculous, and – most importantly – the lack of funds never forms an obstacle. The acting performances are more than adequate, particularly since none of the cast members has any real experience, and everything else (editing, photography, post production
) indicates that this bunch has great potential to deliver future cult classics.
