The Road Movie Review
The Road Movie Review
Directed by Yam Laranas, starring Carmina Villaroel, Rhian Ramos, Barbie Forteza, Marvin Agustin, Tj Trinidad, Ynna Asistio, Derrick Monasterio, Lexi Fernandez, Louise Delos Reyes and Alden Richards.
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When I first saw a Yam Laranas feature, six years ago now (hard to believe it's been that long, but I do still recommend The Echo to friends on the hunt for a good rainy-day ghost movie), I was already looking forward to the next one. Fortunately, The Road was well worth the wait. (Laranas has been busy with his other bread and butter — commercials, shorts and rock videos — in the interim.)
The movie opens up, as one might guess, on a lonely stretch of road. But rather than being predictable, it's suspenseful… makes you wonder what's around the next bend. Let's just say, it's not good. In a good way.
Lurking in the atmosphere of that winding way is an angry apparition with an ax to grind and people to kill. Gruesome and no-holds-barred when it comes to the harrowing aspects, The Road is unusually effective in its emotional resonance as well. Usually, when we watch the doomed meet their demises in various brutal ways, we horror hounds are pretty much desensitized, and just curious to see the murder set-pieces unfold. In this case, however, one actually feels a vicarious tinge of the terror as the young women are painfully terrorized, tortured and killed (anyone who's read a true crime book, such as BTK by Robert Beattie or almost anything by Ann Rule, will know what I'm talking about — there's a fine balance between victim and victimizer, and getting to know a little bit about both is the key to maintaining suspense).
The plot itself isn't anything to write home about (however, it is review-writing worthy!). The story follows a 12 year old cold case which is reopened when three teenagers on a road trip go mysteriously missing. As a new investigative unit explores the facts of the crime, unexplainable supernatural phenomena starts to rise and arouses more questions than any mortal could possibly answer. So, yeah — The Road is about a serial killer with mommy issues who acts out on unsuspecting teens over a number of years, and so on… kind of Psycho'esque, but there is a lot more dimension to the movie than just that.
First of all, the cinematography (by Laranas, who also wrote, produced and edited this pup) is stunning. It's really special and showy, without being ostentatious. It's masterful, but understated. What I love best about Laranas' DP'ing is his embracing of negative space and his effective use of focus. (His style, though less-colorful, reminds me quite a bit of Christopher Doyle's.) Secondly, the horror effects and fright-factor on the ghosts and dead bodies, are top-notch. They're gory and gooey, without being grand guignol over-the-top, nor too squirm-inducing in crime-scene realism. Lastly, the casting is perfection… the actors are real, believable, smart, relatable and likeable. When they are in peril, it matters.
Having heaped all that praise, I will say The Road is not a zing a minute, and I did find the resolution a bit too pat. However, it's not often one watches a chiller of any kind which has actual thrills, trepidation, gore, and gravitas — so, I recommend The Road to anyone who's into more than just the cheap thrill and wants something cinematically spooky to cuddle with on a dark night.
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson
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