Director: Michael Nader
Year: 2021
Country: Canada
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Supernatural
Plot:
After taking on a new passenger, the driver of her ride-share cab begins to notice something is odd when the two become stranded on a deserted piece of road in the wilderness and are soon besieged by a supernatural being who preys on weary travelers forcing them to play his games in order to leave alive.
Review:
This was a pretty decent offering for the most part. One of its better features is the rather enjoyable setup that comes off rather nicely. After the bland conversations that take place on the car ride to begin this one, the fateful incident that brings them to stop on the road is a rather tense and shocking scene regardless of the cliched nature it represents. From the suddenness of the appearance and the chaos of the situation trying to come to terms with what’s happening to them. That we get a somewhat reasonable explanation for what’s going on with the farmer who ventures close to them which fills in enough gaps about the plotline serves this well enough to bring about something resembling a story.
As well, when the film manages to start playing around with the concept of the figure actually being there. As the pressure mounts and the two are at odds with each other, the trip through the woods on their own and encountering the weird signs and detours that weren’t possible to be on the road seconds earlier and seeing all the weird marks on the side of the road gives this a genuinely chilling atmosphere that plays out with the growing dread that something is out hiding in the woods. When they both encounter similar such experiences and are soon forced into a harrowing series of chases and encounters throughout the woods which plays nicely on the sense of confusion at the figure stalking them in various states around the woods. This series of scenes is where a lot of what holds this up comes from.
There isn’t much to dislike with this one but they are major factors. One of the main issues is the series of wholly unnecessary and ridiculous subplots about the difference of opinion between the two while in the car. While it’s patently understandable to showcase some skepticism about their intentions based on current events and their cautious natures, the longer it goes on the more ludicrous it becomes. Seeing as how both are affected by the situation and targeted by the same being, the whole idea of the two being at odds because she believes he’s out to get her even after everything they’ve been through. It’s inherently problematic that all this keeps occurring later in the film as it causes most of the issues to arise as a result.
The other real issue here is the somewhat lessened atmosphere and tone that comes to pass in the final half. With the drop off from the supernatural being stalking them and turning into a series of frantic chases that could’ve arisen due to the setup, the psychological mind-games that are being played with the hallucinations and different figures from their past coming into the story really lowers the tension created beforehand dealing with factors that don’t have much in the way of impact since they’re too obscure to get the point. As well, with the drawn-out final confrontation that doesn’t even bring the creature into this battle for his own film leading to a disappointing main creature, these factors will all bring this one down.
Overview: **.5/5
While there are some enjoyable moments featured throughout here, the majority of this one is undone by a series of underwhelming or just uninteresting horror elements that hold this one down somewhat. Give this a go if you’re intrigued by the setup or looking for this kind of film, while most others will want to heed caution with the film unless other films are more intriguing.
Comments
Post a Comment