The Nowhere Inn

The Nowhere Inn is a 2020 American mockumentary psychological thriller-comedy film directed by Bill Benz from a screenplay by Annie Clark in her film debut and Carrie Brownstein. It stars Clark, Brownstein and Dakota Johnson.

It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020. It was released on September 17, 2021 by IFC Films, and its soundtrack was released on the same day by Loma Vista.

Plot
St. Vincent sets out to make a documentary about her music, but when she hires Carrie Brownstein – a close friend of hers – to direct the project, reality, identity, and authenticity grow bizarre.

Cast

 * Annie Clark as herself
 * Carrie Brownstein as herself
 * Dakota Johnson as herself
 * Ezra Buzzington as Limo Driver
 * Toko Yasuda as herself
 * Chris Aquilino as Neil
 * Drew Connick as Robert
 * Michael Bofshever as Mr. Brownstein, Carrie's Dad

Production
In April 2019, it was announced Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein had joined the cast of the film, with Bill Benz directing from a screenplay by Clark and Brownstein. The project is not a documentary but a scripted film that was to have been shot like a documentary.

Soundtrack
The Nowhere Inn is the soundtrack album released along with the film. It was released on digital streaming services on September 17, 2021, and later on vinyl on April 23, 2022, as part of the Record Store Day.

All tracks written and produced by Annie Clark, except where noted.

Release
It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020. The film was scheduled to screen at South by Southwest and the Tribeca Film Festival; however both festivals were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2021, IFC Films acquired distribution rights to the film. It was released on September 17, 2021. The soundtrack album composed by Clark was released on the same day.

Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of based on  critics, with an average rating of. The website's critics consensus reads: "The Nowhere Inn may be a clever concept in search of substance, but the results are often oddly appealing." On Metacritic, The Nowhere Inn has an above average score of 60 out of a 100 based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com wrote: "St. Vincent and Brownstein prove to be an incredible pair to study at the center of this movie's kaleidoscope, and the film is befitting their boundless and generous creativity".

Lorry Kikta of Film Threat wrote: "On top of all the philosophical queries that The Nowhere Inn gives us, it also features some fantastic live concert footage and great music overall".

Accolade
The film was awarded with The ReFrame Stamp for its gender balanced production.