Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Visitors’ (2003)

Written by Scott Edwards

It can be easy going through life without a sense of accomplishment, in fact, some of us are happy with it. But there are others that need that validation in their lives which leads them to do things that only a few people have done before. Setting the record for the highest skydive, climbing the highest peak or traveling around the world in record time. While these can help to give people validation in their lives, it might not be for everyone, as we all have bills to pay and families to provide for, but it does show us that these feats can be reached if really needed. While you might not want to go out and try to scale Everest, you might set your sights a little bit closer to home and while you might not get the same satisfaction, you know what is most important to you and yours.
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Wanting to do something new and exciting for herself, Georgia Perry has decided that sailing around the world in record time will be just that. Being able to secure a few sponsors with help from her boyfriend Luke, the time is coming near, but not everyone is feeling the excitement that she is. While putting her mother in a rehab facility, she is hit with the grief of her mother taking her own life before she sets sail, along with her father not getting a good health report right after taking to the water. With the promise of doing this trip the way nature intended, without being boarded, using her engines, or accepting a tow from anyone, Georgia is prepared to take the trip that will change her life forever.

Being powered only by the wind, Georgia has made her way most of the trip without issue, but she needs things to help keep her mind right. Only being able to talk to people on the radio and not seeing them face to face, she starts to hold lengthy conversations with her cat Taco who does not really have much to say. As the trip continues on and she reaches a patch of no wind however, she starts to exhibit cabin fever and not in a good way when she starts to see the ghosts of her past. With the ghost of her mother starting to haunt her and promising that she will never make it back to land, there are other issues on the water as pirates have been spotted near her location.

Trying to push the thoughts of pirates taking over her voyage out of her mind, she is visited by many other people from her past and is starting to have a hard time distinguishing if they are real or fake. Setting up a camera to prove that her mother is abusing her on the trip, she is not able to get a clear view of the old woman, but that is the least of her problems when the pirates are able to locate her. Seeing that they mean to do her harm and more importantly board her boat, she takes a shot at one placing him in the middle of the ocean and causing the others to abandon their pursuit, but that is not enough to keep her feeling safe as blood drops and cigarette butts are found on the ship causing her to believe that she is not alone on the boat at all.

I cannot believe that this movie would be included in one of the ‘B Movie’ packs I have purchased over the years, it is actually pretty good. Watching as Georgia is being forced with being alone and how she copes with the overall silence of the ocean was just great. You are shown early on while making a video for her sponsor that things are quickly going downhill when it comes to her mental state. Then when she meets her mother and father on the boat, well, you know that there is something wrong with her and she is being forced to face her greatest fears overall, which is just great. With the fear of being alone, not wanting to abandon a task laid out, a cat named Taco, ghosts, pirates and letting go of what can hold you back, this is just a great character study that shows that once you are able to overcome all other roadblocks put in front of you, you still have to be able to be comfortable with yourself. Stay Scared.

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