There are some things to like about this movie. The cast is good. Some of the visuals are really well done and disturbing. Some elements of it here and there work well. The first part of the movie is promising. The movie just keeps pulling the rug out from under itself. It's does the whole "it was a dream/hallucination" thing. Then it does it again. And again. And again. It did this but so much that I started to zone out. If none of this is actually happening, why should I care about any of it? I got so tired of this that I skipped forward through a good chunk of the movie until the end. They finally reveal what is really happening. Or do they? Was any of that real either? It's not clear even at the very end. At that point, I didn't really care and just wanted the movie to be over.
5 Reviews
Stronger than not, but far too heavy-handed
I_Ailurophile8 September 2022
By no means are all her pictures of equal overall quality, yet I've seen enough of Najarra Townsend to think very highly of her as an actor. I've a soft goal of seeing all her movies, if I can, and it was her attachment to 'The darkness of the road' that drew me in. In contrast, noting that production and distribution company Uncork'd Entertainment was involved in any capacity immediately cast doubts in my mind; even a blind squirrel finds acorns, but I've seen too much utter dreck from Uncork'd (worse than The Asylum!) to have any confidence. Suffice to say that I think I sat to watch this with about as much open-mindedness and objectivity as I could. Ultimately I like 'The darkness of the road,' but it's distinctly flawed, and I can understand how reception is less than stellar.
It doesn't take long for this to start to make an impression as a mixed bag in the truest sense of the word. I appreciate the production design and art direction, and the use of lighting to help build scenes and the mood. Though unremarkable in the grand scheme of things, Luis Ascanio's music also lends a measure of atmosphere. Though the sound design is sometimes slightly lacking, I do like the sound effects. While limited by the material, I think the cast demonstrate capable skill; I admit I'm predisposed to liking Townsend, but it seems to me that she commands the lead role well, and Leah Lauren generally matches her. These elements are contrasted with the immediate use of some tropes, in the character writing especially, and a measure of brusque directness - somewhat in the plot, but certainly in the dialogue and scene writing, too. The blood and gore look great, alongside props and the hair and makeup work; other more active visual effects are less consistent, but fine, if not fun.
I think filmmaker Eduardo Rodriguez demonstrates solid ability as a director; the most notable flaw in this regard is that the movie moves along too quickly for its own good. It would have benefited from a more relaxed pace that would have allowed story beats and character moments to manifest, breathe, and resolve of their own accord. Meanwhile, Rodriguez's writing is good, more so than not, but is surely also the biggest hang-up about 'The darkness of the road.' The narrative concept of the broken or uncertain reality can be a hard one to work with, as it requires a delicate hand of nuance and finesse. And there's the rub: I admire the daring to pursue such a story here, but in execution this title is notably heavy-handed, sometimes bordering on tactless. This bluntness is felt in every aspect of the screenplay - dialogue and scene writing most of all, but definitely in the story at large, too. For lack of subtlety, the complex tangle of the consciously fractured storytelling at times feels sadly senseless, needless, or even fruitless; for lack of subtlety, the ending feels hopelessly ham-handed. For lack of subtlety, the tent pole Big Idea that becomes evident in the last minutes feels like infuriating, wrong-headed moralizing.
There's much about this that I earnestly appreciate. Much more so than not I think this is very well made; the work of all those behind the scenes is swell. Lauren and especially Townsend are pretty great. The film can claim strong plot ideas. It's just regrettable that all this is forced through a grinder, and furthermore served up without the mindful discretion that would have been most appropriate and necessary. I commend all those involved for the effort they put in, and wish only that more fastidious refinement were applied. I think 'The darkness of the road' is worth watching, but it's not something you need to go out of your way for unless you're a fan of someone involved.
It doesn't take long for this to start to make an impression as a mixed bag in the truest sense of the word. I appreciate the production design and art direction, and the use of lighting to help build scenes and the mood. Though unremarkable in the grand scheme of things, Luis Ascanio's music also lends a measure of atmosphere. Though the sound design is sometimes slightly lacking, I do like the sound effects. While limited by the material, I think the cast demonstrate capable skill; I admit I'm predisposed to liking Townsend, but it seems to me that she commands the lead role well, and Leah Lauren generally matches her. These elements are contrasted with the immediate use of some tropes, in the character writing especially, and a measure of brusque directness - somewhat in the plot, but certainly in the dialogue and scene writing, too. The blood and gore look great, alongside props and the hair and makeup work; other more active visual effects are less consistent, but fine, if not fun.
I think filmmaker Eduardo Rodriguez demonstrates solid ability as a director; the most notable flaw in this regard is that the movie moves along too quickly for its own good. It would have benefited from a more relaxed pace that would have allowed story beats and character moments to manifest, breathe, and resolve of their own accord. Meanwhile, Rodriguez's writing is good, more so than not, but is surely also the biggest hang-up about 'The darkness of the road.' The narrative concept of the broken or uncertain reality can be a hard one to work with, as it requires a delicate hand of nuance and finesse. And there's the rub: I admire the daring to pursue such a story here, but in execution this title is notably heavy-handed, sometimes bordering on tactless. This bluntness is felt in every aspect of the screenplay - dialogue and scene writing most of all, but definitely in the story at large, too. For lack of subtlety, the complex tangle of the consciously fractured storytelling at times feels sadly senseless, needless, or even fruitless; for lack of subtlety, the ending feels hopelessly ham-handed. For lack of subtlety, the tent pole Big Idea that becomes evident in the last minutes feels like infuriating, wrong-headed moralizing.
There's much about this that I earnestly appreciate. Much more so than not I think this is very well made; the work of all those behind the scenes is swell. Lauren and especially Townsend are pretty great. The film can claim strong plot ideas. It's just regrettable that all this is forced through a grinder, and furthermore served up without the mindful discretion that would have been most appropriate and necessary. I commend all those involved for the effort they put in, and wish only that more fastidious refinement were applied. I think 'The darkness of the road' is worth watching, but it's not something you need to go out of your way for unless you're a fan of someone involved.
Be careful out there.
nogodnomasters27 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Siri (Najarra Townsend) is traveling with her sick daughter in an old car with a bad starter. She stops at a service station with a creepy attendant. Iris (Leah Lauren) her anagram hitches a ride. A demon like creature crosses the road. They stop and are stranded in a blue creepy atmosphere. Siri has flashbacks to a hospital and nothing seems real where she is at, somewhere in the Twilight Zone battling nightmares and creatures.
The film had good atmosphere. It isn't too hard to figure out what is going on.
Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
The film had good atmosphere. It isn't too hard to figure out what is going on.
Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
Wretched souls...
pjkblue-3592630 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
You got that right! For all those who watch this jumbled storyline the creators should apologize. You can't have a mass of scenes that actually never really tie together.
It wasn't hard to figure out what or where the scenes took place. If they were going for some esoteric meaning, it was lost.
Lots of meaningless downtime, so much so I fast-forwarded which was a blessing.
Kill your terminally ill daughter...commit suicide and get ready to re-live a life of anguish and terror. The creepy gas station guys are the bridge for those good souls to be vindicated and get to the promised land?
Nice payday and hope the catering was decent for the cast and crew.
It wasn't hard to figure out what or where the scenes took place. If they were going for some esoteric meaning, it was lost.
Lots of meaningless downtime, so much so I fast-forwarded which was a blessing.
Kill your terminally ill daughter...commit suicide and get ready to re-live a life of anguish and terror. The creepy gas station guys are the bridge for those good souls to be vindicated and get to the promised land?
Nice payday and hope the catering was decent for the cast and crew.
What a Fitting Title
jmat404 April 2022
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