Film Reviews

Road Kill

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Jessica Bowman
• Details: US / 97 mins / (15PG).

Although not exactly original, Road Kill is an edgy, atmospheric thriller in which two brothers, the uptight Lewis (Walker) and jailbird Fuller (Zahn) go on a cross-country road trip to collect an old high school friend, Venna (Sobieski) from college and bring her home. Along the way they play pick up a CB radio and play a mean-spirited trick on a trucker. However, the trucker doesn't see the funny side of things and thus begins a chase between the fresh-faced kids and the deranged long hauler. As already stated, the basic premise for Road Kill is hardly a fresh one, but director John Dahl (The Last Seduction, Red Rock West) keeps the clichandeacute;s to a minimum and allows his players enough space and time to inject life and believability into their characters, especially Zahn - one of the most underrated actors currently plying his trade. There's more than a few effective chilling moments and even if things taper off in the final - plot free - fifteen minutes, there's still much to admire about Road Kill.

Review by Garreth Murphy