Black Road (2016) User Reviews

Not sure what to think

[jr-05172 · 3/10 · 20 October 2016]

This was a really confusing film experience. I love sci-fi and low budget sci-fi so I watch this film. There were some great ideas and concepts but part of the problem was maybe there were too many ideas. The break-up of the US, enhanced AI, refugee camps. Then the film shifts into some-type of noir thriller?

While the CG is OK and the directing and acting are at times competent - this film starts off OK and slides into a very boring film about people we really don;t care about.

It suffered the same fate as most small budget sci-fi, we don;t care about the characters and the there is a real lack of humanity and interest. It's about the human side of things (even in sci-fi) and that's what really made this a failure for me.

Interesting premise, but slow and confusing

[story-jonathan · 5/10 · 5 September 2016]

The acting seemed adequate, the location was well-suited to the film's setting, and I didn't think that the movie suffered too much by its budget. However, it seemed to me that the premise of the movie -- a near-future where the brain could directly link with the computer -- was clamped onto a pedestrian mystery plot. What the movie needed above all else was a decent, polished script. Without it, we are left with a movie that tends to plod and doesn't make much sense. What the makers should have done is raise another million dollars and given it to a master scriptwriter for a rewrite. There were the seeds of something much better here.

If you are from Oregon, you will like this movie.

[drjimbone · 3/10 · 25 August 2016]

The people of Oregon seem to have overwhelmingly positive things to say about this budget flick, which was made in their backyard. However I, knowing none of the crew or cast personally, am afraid to say I found it a little wooden. I kept waiting for the action to ramp up, for the cyborg part of our protagonist's character to come into it's own and do something more than a monotone voice-over. But, sadly, for much of the time this 'supercomputer' implant was removed from his skull and left our hero confused and unable to solve a rather tedious "He did it!", "No, She did it!" argument. There was no clever 'Aha!' moment where the truth was deduced from minute details, no caught in the act reveal, just a slow decline into a humdrum ending.

tacky and very poorly done

[zerocrew-56802 · 1/10 · 24 August 2016]

The other reviewers with starry reviews probably got a dog in the fight, cause even a lobotomized zombie on crack will stay away from this stench of a movie. Acting is so bad that it made me cringe.

Wanna be director just need to go to film school - i don't even say "go back to film school" cause he obviously he never attended one or missed a lot of courses. I've seen wedding videos less cheesy than than.

I can't even say that CG are bad, they're just middle of the road, looking like some template from After Effects found on the net - it's just they're badly composited/integrated. I've seen amateurs on youTube doing way better than that with DV footage processed on a laptop.

But the worst, definitely is the acting part, or its lack of, once you passed the point where this "Sci-Fi" thing looks really that it got shot in rural Oregon last summer, missing all nice landscapes and scenery though. Adding a blue light to a barn doesn't make it look techy, film boys. You got a lot to learn in front of you. First and foremost would be how not to bore to death your unfortunate audience.

Torture

[bodybydeb · 1/10 · 18 September 2016]

I LOVE sci-fi, but this was absolutely horrible. The only thing interesting in this is the implant, which is turned off part of the time. The sex scenes are ridiculous, and it seems that they are there due to lack of material content. I really do not understand why some of them were in the movie at all. They did not add to the content or quality of the story. This could have been an interesting idea, but instead comes off as cheesy and not well thought out. The acting is underwhelming for some characters, and over the top for others. I really tried to like this movie, but found myself fast forwarding through most of it. This is supposed to be futuristic, but that is not believable in this movie. The character's situations seemed to be silly and confusing. Even the music was awful.

So bad it hurts

[ajknexlang · 1/10 · 15 September 2016]

I'm the kind of guy who will just throw a movie on while I'm playing a video game or whatnot so I can live with a lot of bad things in a movie, but this one is so bad it hurt. I barely made it 15 minutes in before I had to stop it. The CG looks like terrible, flat and terrible renders. The acting is... well also flat and and inexpressive. The cinematography is perfect, as long as the scene is boring and there is nothing better to look at than an actor walking across the shot. Sound fx, sounds like it was grabbed off the internet - they somehow managed to fit 200 wildly applauding people into a shabby nightclub for example. Unless you're really bored and don't mind a very sub-par movie just don't bother with this one.

So much promise, very little delivered

[frankmullins · 2/10 · 20 September 2016]

Gotta give these people credit for creating the idea of a future world. Not only with cyborg and AI tech. But the idea of magic. What with the magic black eyes and black zombie chewing tobacco. But the execution of it is severely lacking. Too many things all thrown together that don't really ad anything to the story. And so many things left unexplained and an overall weak story. The story could have just as easily taken place present day. The whole deal with the state of Jefferson wasn't needed. It could be any small back water town. The cyborg and AI tech could be done away with easily. The main character could've just called his hacker friend a couple of times during the movie. I mean, so much. I really really wanted to like it. But just couldn't so much so it actually prompt me to not only rated my first movie on here - but write my first review on like a 10 year old account. I would enjoy watching a movie set in the writers future setting some day.

Didn't expect much....

[hpeterson-78299 · 5/10 · 3 September 2018]

Other titles I've seen from Gravitas were just awful and with the 3.8 RT rating, I was expecting more blech. I was, instead, plesantly surprised.

It's not a super-budget blockbuster, by any means, but if you are capable of looking at things with an open mind and trying to see what the cast and crew were trying to make you just might enjoy this movie.

Beautiful scenery, ok soundtrack, ok plot, decent acting (not going to nab any awards, but not terrible), an interesting cyborg approach, and no supermen had me happy with this movie. Just dont go into it expecting an Iron Man or Black Panther level of movie and you may like it also.

Entertaining

[bcpiper-86971 · 7/10 · 16 October 2016]

Fun story. Easy to watch. They made it for 100k, so don't expect the moon. The main protagonist's life is a mess. It only gets worse tracking down an old lover and getting caught up in a living nightmare. Would have been cool to have more of the "android" functioning, but then his tension with this implant is also interesting. It's film-noir so the protagonist is fallible. The whole tone of the story is dark. The ending keeps you guessing about how things went down. Many of the negative comments here are ungrounded in the budget restrictions this crew had. It's absolutely amazing what they were able to accomplish for the price tag. T

...what?

[philofthestorm · 3/10 · 26 September 2018]

For full disclosure, I only watched this for Simon Templeman. He is excellent even though he hasn't much to work with in this film. If they'd just stuck with the black-eyed mind powers business, it might have been okay. But oh no... this movie is all over the place, the plot line so convoluted I'm not sure the writers even knew where they were taking it. I adore a "so bad it's good" movie, and even I have to say... stay clear of this one. (Okay, maybe fast forward until Mr. Templeman comes onscreen, *then* shut it right off.)

A man and his dog

[nogodnomasters · 8/10 · 17 October 2017]

In the year 2029 Southern Oregon and Northern California have formed a libertarian style nation called Jefferson. Dylan (Sam Daly) is ex-special forces. After two years he is going back to visit his Sarah (Michelle Lombardo) who now lives with Bruce (Danforth Comins) a peace officer. Dylan has a small cylindrical computer called Clyde that he can pop in and out of his head. It advises him...aka "A Boy and His Dog." That is when he wants to use it. At a nightclub, Dylan meets Lisa (Leilani Sarelle) an untrustworthy woman who hires him to be a mediator between her and her even more untrustworthy husband (Simon Templeman) in a divorce.

The title comes from an ELO song, "Long Black Road" an appropriate song for Dylan. There is a smidgen of humor in the film as when Dylan calls Clyde, HAL. This is a slow burn science fiction and I can envision many not enjoying it.

Guide: F-word, sex, brief nudity (Leilani Sarelle)

Not horrible. Should be a series.

[gideonzack · 7/10 · 29 August 2019]

This should be a series not a movie. Too much to unpack and too little time. The concept is great just the movie is rushed and there's no real message or meaning. It needs 10 episodes to flesh it out. I see huge potential of Netflix or someone digs in.

Failed soldier in near dystopian future comes to Jefferson nation and gets into a mess.

[ericvkirk · 7/10 · 10 November 2017]

I read all the reviews, and, sure, the acting is amateurish, but fine. The beautiful scenery could have been better exploited. And to take a theme like the breakdown of the US with potential to dig into the potential libertarian ideology of a future Jefferson state and exploit it so casually in an attempt at a noir thriller was a disappointment. And I did get the feeling like they were almost making up the story as they went along.

But there was some genuine creativity and originality poured into the film. It captured a mood. Left just enough to the imagination - not laying everything out for you. Nice self-deprecating digs at the rural Ecotopean counter-culture. Clever dialogue, particularly between the protagonist and his computer companion.

Credit for what it is - just a mellow piece of art with some nice ideas.

Not the best but certainly not the worst movie out there..

[patrycjapogorelc · 8/10 · 18 September 2016]

I don't understand how some people bashed this movie. I just wanted to let others know that there are people out there who did enjoy this movie. I thought the acting was just fine, and the CG was done well. The only part I'm upset about is the fact that Clyde wasn't in the film as much as I had hoped. I love the dialogue between Clyde and Dylan. There were quite a few humorous remarks made between them. Also, the ending is not what I expected and I'm a little confused. Other than those two things, I don't have anything else to complain about.

I understand that everyone is going to have a difference in their opinion. I just hope everyone else realizes that and act civil towards each other.

Action, but not much Sci-Fi

[CirrusAv · 6/10 · 4 September 2016]

The plot is interesting, and I found Black Road to be an enjoyable film. There are almost no Sci-Fi elements, so this is more of a detective film set in a near future, than a Sci-Fi film.

There are a few special effects, that aren't too impressive, and some hints of magic which don't have much context so you can only try to guess where they are coming from, but still there is a decent amount of suspense.

Black Road presents you with conflicting information from two different sources and the fun part is trying to put together the puzzle before the protagonist does, and the film ends.

Realistic depiction of AI in a Film Noir Setting

[aldhibah · 7/10 · 23 September 2016]

The Good: The movie has a pretty good depiction of an AI enhanced soldier who is trying to find his place in life after the war. You can see the protagonist struggling with his dependence on his AI companion, hence the continuous removal of the device when it would probably be helpful. I thought it was comparable to the dependence of some soldiers when returning from war on PTSD medications. There was a strong similarity between the present and this hypothetical future which was both good and realistic. There are holograms Televisions and he rides around on what appears to be an electric motorcycle but otherwise it could be any west coast town today.

The plot was fine, it was a basic film noir. This is very typical in science fiction novels, where the plot is there to provide a context in which to explore the interface between some new technology or idea and the present.

The Bad: The pacing is a little off in the first third of the movie and then picks up by the halfway point. I thought the AI companion features should have been more thought out. It is hard to be able to see how this tech would have been useful on the battlefield unless it is hampered by the lack of signals intelligence. I imagine something like this would be good for integrating drone feeds and C3.

The voodoo angle wasn't fully explored and should have been fleshed out better. There are a couple of references to breaching the mind/spirit barrier and its use as a weapon but an additional 30 seconds of dialog on that would have helped.

Futuristic Detective Noir

[vicki-nikolaidi · 10/10 · 27 August 2016]

Old fashioned detective story in a different world and with lots of twists. Small actions by the actors make the movie very real; a sign of great direction. The protagonist is like any other fresh-faced 30 year old fellow out of the military and out of work in 2029; the only perk from his former job was that he gets to keep Clyde. Clyde is calming and non-judgmental; although sometimes living with a voice in one's head is helpful, but sometimes a third party is not sexy. The movie has the noir feel of older movies in black and white when the detective had to figure out what was happening by using his brain, not super powers. Refreshing! I highly recommend Black Road!

The main character gets lots and lots of action!

[beastboy-03509 · 6/10 · 26 September 2017]

This movie is a lifetime made for TV movie with a science fiction twist. I consider this a high setting post apocalyptic film. There is no real government, supplies are in easy access, and society still functions to some extent. If I could think of one thing that stands out in this film it is the lack of music. It gives the movie a very surreal quality. I have not seen many noir films. That could be a common quality in them. I keep thinking about that Scandanivian film maker who didn't use music. It is a nice touch.

Another thing about this film is how much booty the main character gets. He gets laid at least three or four times. The way some of The scenes cut it looks like the director edited out the porn bits or did some B unit footage to mask them. Who knew a cybernetic brain would accomplish all That? This is what guys need to be irrestible to the ladies! I suspect this film may be way more bawdy in its original cut. Wonga wonga! Va va va vooommm.

Another thing i thought was cool about this movie was how the director Dealt with the high tech, sci fi stuff. The actors talk about like it is second hand knowledge. That makes perfect sense because whenever i use a cell phone I do not talk through the history of the telephone. I just use it. That is the way the super sci fi stuff is handled. It was very organic and believable.

The beach scenes reminded me of "The Goonies". One shot in particular looks like the same rock formation from that R. Donner film.

I would give this movie a chance. It is a decent flick. I did not get the ending at all. Well, I have an idea of what happened. Once again it shows how well the tech in the film was handled. I think more sci fi films need to be done in this fashion. Minimalism is a really great thing. If Lifetime made more female drama movies in sci fi settings I would give them a watch. I hope you are reading this lifetime.

Oddly Satisfying

[pondering_always · 6/10 · 29 June 2023]

Where do I start. This is a good blending of sci-fi and weird mystery. Acting was ok and odd at the same time. Yes the word here is odd. I don't want to give anything away because to be honest it was a good watch. Just be prepared to not have all of your questions answered. They did a good job of keeping you guessing who was the good and who was the bad. Let's be honest though they could've done a better job. I think it's suppose to be "furturistic" but they didn't do a good job at that. If you like sci-fi like and odd mysteries then you should watch it. It will keep you interested and leave you a little intrigued by the ending.

Go see this movie!

[tammypotthoff · 8/10 · 24 October 2015]

This movie was filmed locally in southern Oregon. I was not sure what to expect.. However, it is a Sci Fiction movie based in 2029 which was thrilling and had unexpected plots an turns. The main character went back to Jefferson which had become a free state to find his girlfriend. He was a cyborg with a removable computer that was implanted in his head. I gave this a higher rating because it was so much better than the cheesy Sci Fiction movies I have had the displeasure of watching. Great acting too. I felt like I was watching an A rated professional movie. I see almost every movie that comes out especially independent film . The producer even talked to us before the movie. You won't be disappointed.

Captivating with a steady build-up and thought provoking finale

[jack-35068 · 10/10 · 28 October 2015]

Don't miss this brilliant film which left me wanting more. Love the way it embellishes some emerging social themes in subtle but powerful ways. Main character Dylan is adrift with his 'right ear man'Clyde, his cyborg implant played superbly by Andrew Wilson. The endearing twosome get caught in a perilous web of treachery. The dark mix of intoxicating elements makes for a fascinating 'film noir' experience, with a strong script, editing, sound mixing, pacing and excellent acting provided in part by a trove of local Shakespeare festival actors. Clever and captivating with steady build-up and a very thought provoking finale. For those who enjoy thrillers, contemplation and striking new characters and ideas, this is sure to become a favorite!