Back Roads

They say there is no accounting for taste and I agree with that but sometimes there is a standard for what is acceptable for good if not terrific and when somebody here says that Juliette Lewis cannot act I don't think they've seen enough of her films Another review hear that caught my attention for the opposite reason was this reviewer said sagely in my opinion that initially it was difficult to understand where this film was going and when it did become apparent the slowness of it was Paramount to bringing about the telling of this particular story

I think it is important to be aware before you go into this film that it is most definitely a drama and not really a thriller. I think most of the sub 5 star reviews have seen the thriller tag and thought that was what they were going to get. This is a serious drama about child abuse and how it can affect everything and everyone around you and is a brave movie if I may say that. If you are feeling depressed or are expecting something else then I would walk away now and find something else to watch. You definitely have to be in a certain mood to watch this and take it in properly.

The acting from the entire cast was superb especially Alex Pettyfer who carried the movie and directed it but also a scintillating performance from Nicola Peltz and Hala Finley.

The subject is a serious one about child abuse in America and I think how widespread it is around the entire world and gives one pause for thought and to ask questions of the audience which is a good thing. However if you are not in the mood I do not think you will find this an enjoyable experience as it will leave you with a good few dark questions and is not conducive to alleviating your mood if you are in any way feeling down or depressed.

That said its a brave subject to tackle and make a movie about knowing full well that 80% of audiences will not like it and prefer the crash, bang, wallop that society seems to focus on these days which is a shame.

Back Roads is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. It's the car accident on the side of the freeway at which you can't help but stare. Bad family situations and dysfunction grow progressively worse as more and more buried facts and emotions are revealed. So sad, it is on the scale of a Greek tragedy, except our hero is not to at all blame, making this a true drama/melodrama. Direction and acting are superb. This is not your typical action/horror/superhero bubble gum fare. This is for intelligent and sensitive adults with patience and appreciation for human suffering. One could argue it is heavy handed, with all the layers upon layers of misfortune and dysfunction, yet that clearly is the intent of the story. Our hero is so admirable and relatable, charged with the responsibility of raising, protecting, and otherwise caring for his three younger sisters, but in many ways, he is still a child himself, and a scarred one at that. Living in this impossibly chaotic and crazy situation on a day to day basis makes a predictable, restrained life in an asylum or penitentiary seem to be a step up. Now I want to read the novel.

So one reviewer called it trash and all the characters trashy losers, I don't get that. Either she cut out early before becoming aware of why these poor abused kids were the way they were or she just a snob who looks down her nose at people who are not as fortunate as her. Director and actor Alex Pettyfor obviously wanted to show people the horror of child abuse and the spiderweb of messed up things created after the trauma. I felt he did an amazing job of showing this. There's not much worse than child abuse except for people who call them trash for the way they handle that trauma. My heart goes out to all of them as well as my prayers! Ty Alex Pettyfor!

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.