666 Road

Southbound is unlike most Horror films, belonging to a sub-genre I would define as "intertwined". 5 different stories leading to and deriving from each other: Two friends on trying to get home, a girl band trying to get to their next gig, a man trying to go home to his loving wife, a brother trying to rescue his sister, and a family on vacation before their daughter goes to college. Sufficing to say nothing ends well.

The common ground for the tales is the actual ground, as they all seem to be taking place at the same location, referred to as "the middle of nowhere" and giving a strong sensation of Hell itself. Also, all the characters seem to be tuned in to the same radio station, where the DJ hints of his awareness to their sins and struggles. In each story, the protagonists (if you can call them that) have secrets in an escalating level of severity, and I guess the moral is that Karma always catches up to you.

Seeing as how each story is around 17 minutes in average, it's quite challenging for me to rate the film as a whole. The screen writing is by far the best feature, as the stories leave you confused, wondering, desperate and lost. Some fine shooting and cinematography as well, especially during the beginning of The Accident part (great work from directors and screenwriters Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin). The acting is also good, but the each of the cast is given little screen time, so it's hard to say anything more. I will say that all the cast is largely unknown, and still showed a lot of promise.

All in all, Southbound would appeal to fans of more "artistic" Horror films. It's unusual and quite unique, leaving the audience with an uneasy sense of bewilderment. While not my preferable sub- genre, I was very impressed with it and enjoyed it to the last second.

This quote makes a whole lot of sense since It seems like all our characters are in purgatory. They are hopelessly lost or have committed heinous crimes, and they are now in a place where they cannot escape, and are stuck in an endless loop.

Wraith demons appear from the start of the film and look like they are after fresh souls, or waiting for death to occur. This is why they seem to appear spontaneously throughout the film when bad things are about to happen.

Southbound is an anthology that follows a different set of characters through five interlocking stories that are all linked to the main plot, and by the end, everything seems to come together nicely in one big circle.

I'll admit the film is pretty well done. It speeds through the stories quickly, it was intriguing and full of mystery and action, and so while you want to find out more about a previous tale, you don't the chance to stop, reflect and catch your breath.

I wish more films were done like this. There will always be pros and cons but the film did what it intended. It had a favourable story, it had gore, it had mystery, it did have some gritty and unsettling moments, and it fits in very nicely to the horror genre.

The only real negative I can say about this film is that it doesn't delve deep enough into character development. We don't know much backstory, and what has transpired in the past. And therefore your connection with the characters is not as strong as it could be.

However, something always seems to catch up with them. And even though there is a lot that we aren't aware of, most of it doesn't matter since you can get a good enough grasp on the situation, and can sense that in the end, the outcome will be unpleasant.

A quick note on the hospital scene which was one of the most brutal, visceral and disgusting scenes I think I have ever witnessed in a movie to date, it kept you a little frozen in shock, but was also, the edge of your seat cinema.

We get wraithlike skeletons, cults, murderers, a creepy abandoned hospital, some weird townsfolk, and some monster elements sprinkled into the five stories. The DJ was a nice touch and effortlessly blended into when a story had ended, and when the next one was about to begin.

This is one of those surprise horror movies that have a fulfilling story and a decent ending. I recommend this film if you are a horror fanatic, as I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

7/10.

As with any anthology movie, the good thing about them is if you find one of the stories unfulfilling, you only have to put up with it for no more than 20 minutes or so before moving onto the next one. That's not to say there were terrible segments here, but some were clearly better than others. Not only were most of the segments nice on their own, but there was an over-arcing storyline tying them all together in an intricate way. This really amped up the overall creepiness of being trapped in the middle of nowhere where 'evil' reigns supreme.

Of the five, "Jailbreak" seemed to be the weak link as a whole and felt anticlimactic. The story wasn't the best, but the real head-scratcher was the way it ended. It was kind of odd, definitely corny, and didn't really seem to tie into the overall story much. I won't spoil anything but I imagine most people will feel the same way.

"The Accident" and "The Way In" are without question the best segments. They were tense, graphic in a good way, and the most entertaining. The Accident was the best because it seemed to be the most plausible (even if it did stretch that notion towards the end). The idea of hitting someone with your car late and night and no one being there to help seems all to real. Amp that up with some grisly imagery & the obscure and you get something pretty wild and entertaining. Following these two are "The Way Out" and "Siren" (if you were a fan of this segment, I suggest checking out the foreign film, "Borgman").

"Southbound" might not reach the heights of legendary anthology movie, "Trick r Treat". Or have a truly memorable segment like "Safe Haven" (VHS 2). But it is an enjoyable 90-minute anthology film that comes together quite nicely when all is said and done.

Southbound does three things well.

First, it has some genuinely new stories to tell. That's not typical for horror, where the same few stories are iterated upon repeatedly.

Second, it has fascinating characters that are brought to vivid life, with remarkably few brush strokes, but without ever resorting to stereotype. The quality of the writing, direction, and acting shine.

Finally, each of Southbound's authors know to leave enough unsaid. Each chapter suggests a world of back story, but there's no spoon anywhere in sight. Which is particularly important for horror, where what is made explicit can never approach the creepiness that is only imaginable.

What does it do wrong? Well, the effects can be shoddy, and there are a few scenes designed around an effect, rather than the effect crafted to the vision, leaving those scenes wooden. But that's all, and for each awkward bit of gore, there are two or three masterfully directed scenes to compensate.

Southbound is a seriously enjoyable horror flick. See it when you can.

Or at least a really cool version of Hell.

Several stories connected together to create one big vicious cycle of a horror story about the misfortune of a few people to end up on the wrong side of the dessert.

It's an anthology that reminds me of the Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt, and it's truly on the level of creativity, especially when it comes to story telling visually.

Not surprisingly done by the same team as the ones who brought us V/H/S. If you love that movie, this is right up your alley.

It was scary, gory, and messes with your mind, all at once, and it's perfect.

Thumbs up!