As a former resident of 'The Elan School' (1998-2000) I cant say that I didn't go into this Documentary without a certain element of bias. We all remember past events differently; and when they were tragic events, the lines blur even more. Enter 'The Last Stop'- A roller coaster of emotions, from the beginning scene, all the way to the ending. Capturing the fear, degradation, Stockholm syndrome, and psychological torture was no easy task for Todd(director). Each student involved in the story telling; had come from different backgrounds, with a different set of issues. The story was one of criminal enterprise, cult, and a sprinkle of playing God. At certain points throughout the Documentary, you find yourself asking, "maybe they truly thought they were helping kids". The power to tear someone down emotionally, and then "build" them back up, would make anyone think they are righteous. But, as with any business, money makes people do horrific things. What started out as a rehab for drug addicts,quickly turned into a money grab for the owner of the Elan School. There were many events in the Documentary that I wished were acted out. I think budget constraints ultimately hurt the potential impact this documentary could have made. However, Todd did an amazing job with what little budget he had to work with. Todd has put an exorbitant amount of effort into all the details of this documentary. I hope this is just the beginning, for there is more story to tell.
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