Writers: Roxanne Benjamin, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, David Bruckner, Susan Burke, Dallas Richard Hallam, Patrick Horvath (Screenplay)
Starring: Chad Villella, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Kristina Pesic, Fabianne Therese, Nathalie Love
Plot: Five interlocking tales of terror follow the fates of a group of weary travellers who confront their worst nightmares – and darkest secrets – over one long night on a desolate stretch of desert highway.
Tagline – No matter which road you choose, it’s all going south.
Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Fun Horror Anthology
Story: Southbound starts as we first follow two men looking to escape their past who become trapped in a loop returning them to the same gas station. This is a short a simple horror that has great effects which also dives into two different types of fears we will be tackling in this film.
The second story follows a three-piece girl jazz band, fresh with a hangover heading towards their latest gig, who must get help from strangers once they get a flat tire. This shows the struggle of musicians that could fall into the wrong household even for just one night.
With the third story we follow a man who was heading home who hit a woman on the road at night, he is guided on the phone to help the victim only to find not everything is what it seems. This story plans into the pure panic that an accident could cause that knows they could be the only one to save the victim.
The next story follows one man in search of his sister who he believes is in this town by holding up a bar, but this bar isn’t what he was expecting. This brings us to a one man on a mission against anyone who gets in his way, this feels like the most fun of the stories.
The final story follows a family who are on a vacation before their daughter goes off to college. Their quiet time turns into a nightmare when they become victims of a home invasion by a group of masked characters.
Thoughts on Southbound
Scene of the Movie – This is tough because I loved the third story and where the fifth ones goes, so I will cheat and call it a tie. Plus the skeleton like creatures look fantastic.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – I wasn’t a fan of where the second story went, like the intro though.
Final Thoughts – The stories interlocking is the biggest plus in this movie, the transition feels seamless as they unfold, with the radio commentary giving hints to where the stories will go. The stories do work in short format because they do feel like they would be forcing the stretched-out story in a feature film. each story takes us into a different type of fear which I feel offers something for everyone too.
Overall: This is one for the horror fans to enjoy.
Rating