This crime/mystery set against a beach backdrop is hampered by an irritating and frustrating presentation. The narrative follows two couples from Australia who journey to Cambodian beaches for a vacation. After a night out, one man disappears, and back in Sydney, his girlfriend and her companions attempt to reconstruct what happened. "Wish You Were Here" (2012) falls into the category of psychological crime dramas/mysteries that feature Westerners encountering trouble in an unfamiliar Southeast Asian location—similar films include “Vinyan” (2008), “No Escape” (2015), and even “The Beach” (2000). Teresa Palmer, as Steph, stands out as she typically does, and the film’s settings are visually appealing, with a capable cast supporting the leads. However, the deliberately shaky camera work and rapid editing in the opening portion become tiresome quickly. The plot is further complicated by an unnecessarily complex structure that incorporates frequent jumps between past, present, and future timelines without clear transitions. Eventually, the viewer will be able to understand what’s transpired, but it feels like an unnecessary challenge. Despite making for a less than pleasant viewing experience, there are some intriguing psychological elements at play, alongside the previously mentioned strengths. The movie has a running time of 1 hour and 29 minutes and was filmed in New South Wales, Australia—including Sydney—as well as Sihanoukville, Cambodia. GRADE: B-/C+

Source on TMDB