Themes: Stalkers, Out For Revenge, Nightmare Vacations
Main Cast: Steve Zahn, Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski, Jessica Bowman, Stuart Stone
Release Year: 2001
Country: US
Run Time: 96 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
After forays into film noir, thrillers, dramas, and even documentaries, director John Dahl tries the teen horror genre on for size. Paul Walker stars as Lewis Thomas, a college freshman embarking on a cross-country road trip during summer break to pick up his girlfriend Venna (Leelee Sobieski). Along for the ride is Lewis' brother Fuller (Steve Zahn), a practical joker who uses the car's CB radio to play a cruel prank on a lonely trucker known only by the handle Rusty Nail. The victim of Fuller's gag turns out to be a psychotic murderer and soon the brothers are being pursued by the relentless stalker, who gets his revenge in gruesome fashion. Joy Ride, which co-stars Matthew Kimbrough, was produced under the working title "Squelch." ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Review
With Joy Ride, director John Dahl abandons the sophisticated plotting of his earlier films, Red Rock West and The Last Seduction, in favor of more visceral thrills, and it pays off with a suspenseful and darkly comic kick. The script, by Clay Tarver and Felicity co-creator J.J. Abrams, cribs from the TV movie that put Steven Spielberg on the map, Duel. It has a surfeit of wit and strong, believable characters, which is good, because in less assured hands it could have been a routine teen horror flick. Dahl gets the most out of his talented young cast, especially Steve Zahn as Fuller, the dangerously reckless, but oddly charming and surprisingly resourceful older brother. In past films, Zahn has overplayed his goofball charm, but here he finds just the right balance between imprudent jerk and lovable scoundrel. Fuller, Lewis (Paul Walker), and Venna (Leelee Sobieski) come across as real people. It's easy to see how their supposed anonymity leads the brothers to feel that they'll get away with their cruel CB radio prank, and their reactions to the horrible situation they find themselves in are unassailably rational. This draws the audience in to the scary story. Dahl knows how to build suspense. His dark palette is filled with eerie taillight reds, and the occasional roar of a passing tractor-trailer jarringly disrupts the quiet of his middle-of-nowhere highway locations. The mysterious trucker, known only by his CB handle Rusty Nail, is a frightening villain -- righteously angry, powerful, and relentless. The scene in which Fuller and Lewis listen helplessly through the motel wall as he maims his first victim is a restrained masterpiece of horror, and perfectly sets up all the tension to come. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
