Back Roads

It's classified as a thriller but it's more like dark and disturbing. Family secrets, child abuse, no money, bad parents, hopeless existence. And things got worse as the story moved along. Mom managed to escape, life in prison is a day at the beach compared to what's going on back home. What a sad life for all involved. I give this an 8.

I loved this movie in all it's aspects. The acting is very good, especially the main actor, who is superb showing the right emotions (or lack of them) after his life is shaken by traumatic incidents. The plot is very well writen and the timing and pace describs the right predict interest line. The story is always actual as it shows a hard and very hidden reality. And yes, there is some atrocity, cause the reality sometimes (more than we wanted) is also atrocious! I didn't find it slow. But if you think that it is, what's that suppose to mean? Aren't "Paris Texas", "2001 Space Odyssey"; "Fargo"; "There will be blood"; or even "The Godfather" awesome slow paced movies? Also I love Julliet Lewis. So good to watch her again in a movie. Love it.

I see some reviewers thought this movie was too slow but to me it was made at the right pace as this is a story that is slowly evolving, from a dramatic beginning to a disturbing climax. The acting was faultless with all the actors and actresses giving a special touch to their characters. The main character Harley Altmyer is played by Alex Pettyfer and he definitely makes this movie worth watching. A traumatized young adult with huge responsabilities discovers the other gender for the first time and that while coping with the things that are haunting him from the past and present. For a drama it was better than I expected.

This film draws you in and holds you through to the end. The story is profound, tragic, emotionally multi-layered and all too prevalent in real life. The acting is spot on by all involved, I didnt realize until the end that the lead was also first time directing! Bravo Alex!! Job well done on both accounts and here's to your bravery in tackling a subject this gritty, devastating and true to life, its supurb! For all the lower ratings, this is not a thriller or for immature audiences; I would say they either didnt "get" the film and/or they were looking for a Hollywood thriller worthy of an oscar. Nevermind them, if you are a mature adult who appreciates a well acted, well made film with some dark content then you should definitely see this film.

After a mother (Juliette Lewis) goes to prison for shooting her husband in a backwater town in the Eastern USA, a young man (Alex Pettyfer) has to forsake college and take care of his three younger sisters, including a teenage hellion (Nicola Peltz). Meanwhile a wife who lives down the lane catches his interest (Jennifer Morrison).

"Back Roads" (2018) is a melancholy psychological family drama with a crime element that could be classified as Southern Gothic. While the events take place in Western Pennsylvania they could occur in any backwater community in the Eastern USA or Canada. The film was shot in St. Francisville, Louisiana, which is a half-hour drive north of Baton Rouge along the Mississippi.

Films that come to mind include "Mud" (2012), "Joe" (2013), "Winter's Bone" (2010), "Undertow" (2004), "Snow Angels" (2007), "Monster's Ball" (2001) and "The Fugitive Kind" (1960). The flick leaves you with a bad taste because it deals with some ugly things and features painful emotions, not to mention it's unrelentingly gloomy. If you think your family growing up was dysfunctional, you ain't seen nothing. But, if you reflect on the movie and the understated clues, everything makes sense and is well-written, based on Tawni O'Dell 1999 novel. Just don't expect a pleasant time.

The film runs 1 hour, 41 minutes.

GRADE: B-/C+