donutpower

I watched this on a whim. Never heard of or seen Roseanne Supernault before but she had a look that caught my interest. This felt very much like a Lifetime Channel movie, which isn't a bad thing, as those can be quite entertaining from the getgo. This movie started out a bit slow but I liked that it was somewhat of a slow burn. It allowed to get to know the main character as if you were on the road trip with her.

I found it somewhat relatable of going back to your old hometown after being away for quite a while. Where its a really long drive to get out towards a small town. The cold snowy setting and the music set the mood. I really did enjoy the soundtrack for this and thats what kept me along for the ride.

The film is quick to set up Tracy as someone who is a bit of a pushover and just lets people walk all over her. Didn't think that was necessary but it establishes that she is someone who feels alone. Her husband/significant other is the type who is more enthusiastic about his work life than his home life. It doesn't go any further than that or have it be a returning plot point. Its just presented early and forgotten.

I thought the dog 'Pretzel' made for the comic relief of sorts. When the tension would build, you could count on Pretzel to ease things up a little. I found it odd how the dog is the most calm and patient passenger. Never once saw the dog eat or drink anything. Only had to go to the bathroom a couple of times the whole trip. For me, I'd have liked if the film went on a bit longer and showed these sort of mundane moments just for the sake of bringing some realism. I'm very into road movies where you have maybe 1 or 2 characters for the majority. This kept to that with Tracy and Pretzel. I thought they were likeable characters.

The moment at the gas station was hilarious and frustrating at the same time. Goes to show that not everyone pays attention to the details when they are incredibly stressed out.

The one thing I did think was done well was when we see Tracey inside the car while speeding away. To see a character actually show the anxiety hit...that brought some emotionality to things.

I was thrown off a bit at seeing that this trucker took down another vehicle and actually left the driver for dead. That had me assume this was going to be more of a horror movie where the suspense would build and build. Thats not what this movie is. I would have liked to have gotten more of a thriller but I guess thats too cliche and overdone as it is.

The feeling of being helpless is where this movie goes. Showing how Tracy can't go to anyone for help because everyones a bit on the racist side. I've seen that feeling of helplessness happen quite often, to where you don't even feel safe when a police officer shows up. I'd prefer to have seen her have more of a confrontation with the officer just for the sake of drama...but it doesn't happen. She avoids the officer once she views him as an obstacle rather than a solution.

It was interesting to see what Tracy does once shes at the end of her rope. It was a nice change of pace to see that she was somewhat clever even though I would have taken several different approaches to the situation. It does get somewhat frustrating when things don't seem as clever as they should for her. I give props for at least showing the attempts. How the confrontation ends between Tracey and the trucker was satisfying enough.

By the time it got to the ending, it seemed relatable with going through hell just to get to your destination, when even that isn't exactly "home sweet home".

I've seen many comments in comparing this to DUEL. Yea...the basic premise is lifted right from it. Though I feel that DUEL worked because it was much more simple and because of the era it was made in. This film attempts to bring some sense of story aside from the truck bullying her on the road.

I did like Roseanne Supernault. Thats the type of actress I'd like to see more of just because shes different from the usual actress that would be in this type of role. I see women with this look and build quite often when out and about, but not so much in movies. I remember a few years back watching 'Alone' that had a woman being stalked on the road by a skeazy guy. It was a more traditional thriller/horror flick. That ended up boring the hell out of me to where I can't even remember how the second half of the film went. This movie kept my attention throughout and thats an accomplishment of the actress being interesting enough to watch. The facial expressions and attitude just really hit home with people I've known over the years who I've seen be defeated or having everything go wrong. That had me invested in this character.

I could go on and on about the good things and the faults. Overall, I was entertained enough to want to see whats gonna end up happening. There is symbolism and a layer of depth to the story. I definitely wanted more of the road trip. I wanted to get to know Tracy more. To learn more of her issues with her significant other, with her sister, with her mother, with her uncle. To learn of more of the hardships so that I can be more sympathetic towards her, rather than just sympathizing with her having a really crappy road trip. I wanted more obstacles in her way apart from the obnoxious truck driver. Could have had her get lost, get a flat tire, hitting a deer, having indigestion, having to stay at a shady motel, having the officer pull her over, and all the other annoying challenges that occur when on long drives. I feel that would have made this be a much more standout movie if the evil trucker was just one of many more obstacles.

I thought this was an enjoyable slasher flick.

The main actress Sarah Elizabeth has a natural beauty and a real poise that makes her down to earth and very likeable. I was surprised this was her first and only film credit. Hope to see more of her in future projects.

The other standout actress was Janet Jurado. She also brought that likeable realistic presence that just worked so well. Its always refreshing to see a character in a horror film that acts accordingly and not doing stupid things and getting killed.

This is a low budget film but I did like that it had the early 00s indie film look. I always enjoyed that aesthetic because it gives it a sense of realism but still has a cinematic look to it. In other words, it doesn't look cheap like some movies that even in recent years tend to look like they were shot on a camcorder.

The haunted house theme was fun to see because it focused more on the setup rather than having the viewer go all through the maze full of quick cuts and shaky cam. I thought the escape room setting was entertaining despite how brief it was. Its the characters that made every scene work. I liked the trio of girls in this that were relatable and "normal". They were the kind of people you could find in such a setting and just hang out with. There was no overdramtic acting or much in the way of cliches. I really appreciated that.

The costumes in this were interesting and varied enough to not make it the same old tired thing when it comes to slasher films. It did leave me wondering who the killer is for the first half of the film.

I would think that this film was lacking maybe another 15 to 20 minutes just for the sake of spending more time with these likeable characters. When people were getting killed off , it was sad, but I felt like the emotion could really be taken up a notch if those characters had more screen time.

The villain...while not great.. was imposing in his own way. I think the reveal was maybe too soon but I did like that we see that villain a little off the rails , as opposed to someone that wants revenge or is disgruntled for something someone did.

The subtle jokes were cool to me. It continued in that down to earth , mellow, realistic sense. I think that dry humor was sarcastic but not all "in your face" like most low budget horror films tend to do.

The music fit certain scenes without being over the top or gimmicky. I thought the end credits track fit with the trio of characters. It kept me watching all till the very end.

Overall, I had a good time with this one. The trailer didn't exactly draw me in much, but I'm glad I went in with no expectations. I'd put this in the ranks of something like Satan's Little Helper, where you had a fairly basic premise, but with likeable realistic characters that keep you watching.