ROADKILL (2024)

New this week in select theaters, On Demand and digital download from Uncork’d Entertainment!
Directed/written by Warren Fast.
Starring Caitlin Carmichael, Ryan Knudson, Danielle Harris, Warren Fast, Trenton Hudson, William Childress, Christina R Gregg, Stephen LaDow, Buddy Campbell
Check out the trailer here!!

As a gruesome killer makes his or her way through a long stretch of highway through a small town, a drifter (Ryan Knudson) crosses paths with a young runaway with a fast car (Caitlin Carmichael). It’s evident early on, neither of these two are innocent, but which one is the predator and which is the prey? As the local sheriff (writer/director Warren Fast) searches for both of them, more bodies pile up across this long dark road.

ROADKILL plays out like a low budget version of FREEWAY with a very young Reese Witherspoon and a very pervy Kiefer Sutherland. It is a film with multiple twists and surly characters and while the story is small scale, I appreciate the film never really exceeding the limitations of the budget. This means that it delivers some low fi car chases, some okay choreographed fight scenes, and some limited, but potent gore.

I don’t want to tout this one up too much. It’s very derivative, but also has a grindhouse feel that made it utterly watchable. The dankness of all of the characters kept me interested and while the story is predictable, it made for a fun time-waster of a movie. Writer/director Warren Fast does a good job as the local sheriff. He’s by far the best actor of the leads. The other two are capable, but while Caitlin Carmichael is very easy on the eyes and Ryan Knudson is doing his best John Wick impression, their thespian skills need some work. Look for a brief cameo by Danielle Harris as a crossword addicted waitress. Harris is always the highlight of any movie she is in.

Don’t expect big things, but as a low scale grindhouser, ROADKILL works decently.