If not for Cinema's Absolute WORST protagonist, this would have a much higher rating.
But, since our "hero" is so incredibly dumb, you almost root for the sadistic antagonist. He just wanted an apology, after all.
This road rage thriller's first third is so cliché and predictable, I almost turned it off. But, then, BAM, in the 2nd Act, this movie picks up the tension, there were some genuine scares and it's absolutely suspenseful.
A bickering family of four head to (also, the world's worst) Grandma's house, but the running-behind family encounter a jerk on the road and the driver/father of the family makes his first of about 653 mistakes: he taunts the bad driver. Repeatedly. Well, this man, as you'd see in a tense chase cold open, isn't one you should mess with. He likes to spray humans with enormously poisonous chemicals.
The killer, who's kind of a less scary Anton Chigurh - the bad guy from No Country for Old Men, is alright. He's original enough, even if everything else around him isn't. It's really the dad who will get on your last nerve and is a perfectionist at making the worse decisions. And every time he calms down from one blunder and you forget he's a terrible person, he'll make another. His unwise choices should be this film's drinking game.
If not for the creepy cold open, the much better 2nd act and pretty good conclusion, I'd say skip it. I also really dug the very ending even if it was so foreseen. Just staying through the credits is disturbing. So, it's a recommendation.
***
Final Thoughts: It is a Foreign Film with subtitles, but you know what? It's pretty easy to tell what's going on and they use few words. You can almost ignore the words and still follow the story.
But, if that bothers you, they remade this movie for America the following year (2020) starring Russell Crowe. I did see that movie, Unhinged, first and I gave that one 6/10 Stars, as well. So, I recommend both.
But, since our "hero" is so incredibly dumb, you almost root for the sadistic antagonist. He just wanted an apology, after all.
This road rage thriller's first third is so cliché and predictable, I almost turned it off. But, then, BAM, in the 2nd Act, this movie picks up the tension, there were some genuine scares and it's absolutely suspenseful.
A bickering family of four head to (also, the world's worst) Grandma's house, but the running-behind family encounter a jerk on the road and the driver/father of the family makes his first of about 653 mistakes: he taunts the bad driver. Repeatedly. Well, this man, as you'd see in a tense chase cold open, isn't one you should mess with. He likes to spray humans with enormously poisonous chemicals.
The killer, who's kind of a less scary Anton Chigurh - the bad guy from No Country for Old Men, is alright. He's original enough, even if everything else around him isn't. It's really the dad who will get on your last nerve and is a perfectionist at making the worse decisions. And every time he calms down from one blunder and you forget he's a terrible person, he'll make another. His unwise choices should be this film's drinking game.
If not for the creepy cold open, the much better 2nd act and pretty good conclusion, I'd say skip it. I also really dug the very ending even if it was so foreseen. Just staying through the credits is disturbing. So, it's a recommendation.
***
Final Thoughts: It is a Foreign Film with subtitles, but you know what? It's pretty easy to tell what's going on and they use few words. You can almost ignore the words and still follow the story.
But, if that bothers you, they remade this movie for America the following year (2020) starring Russell Crowe. I did see that movie, Unhinged, first and I gave that one 6/10 Stars, as well. So, I recommend both.