Backroad

Backroad is set in East Texas, where evil sometimes wears a cowboy hat. The peaceful countryside is contrasted to the disturbing scenes of violence that punctuate this artistically composed story of how evil grows, and sometimes, how it all ends up. The performances were excellent, neither understated nor overdone. The cinematography was impressive, especially considering the fact that this was all done on a shoestring. The story was disturbing, a bit intense for me at moments, but not a plot less gore-fest, as so many horror films have gotten to be. There is enough ambiguity and symbolism to make me pay attention and think a bit, to make me discuss the film with others, and to make me want to see it again. In fact, I bought the DVD, and I hope that they give it a wider release at some point. Having a rare limited-edition copy won't do me any good, since I refuse to sell it.