by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden
In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s Drive Back by Cody Ashford.
Synopsis
A couple (Zack Gold as Reid and Whit Kunschik as Olivia) returning from their engagement party must escape from a seemingly endless forested backroad causing them to lose their grip on reality . . . and try to escape a killer hunting them from the surrounding woods.
The Good
Joseph: Gold and Kunschik inhabit their characters quite well. Ashford has a good eye for suspenseful set pieces.
Mike: There’s plenty of suspense surrounding the main character’s (Reid and Olvia) situation as they continually encounter obstacles while taking a shortcut to get home. To say much of anything about Drive Back would potentially ruin the twist of writer Jon Sarro’s plot so I’m going to need to gloss over a few things when it comes to many particulars, I’m afraid.
Essentially a two-person show, Gold and Kunschik are quite good as a newly engaged (and pregnant) couple. Like a lot of couples, they have their issues that they both try to deal with, to varying degrees of success. From financial insecurity and the future to infidelity and the past. Despite their differences, fears, and shortcomings, you can still tell there’s genuine love for one another there and this is all a testament to the actors’ abilities at portraying these characters.
As mentioned there’s some suspense brought about by the situation of being “lost”, as well as some tense moments involving the killer mentioned in the synopsis, along with a little bit of blood. Really though, the highlight of the film are the performances.
The Bad
Joseph: Characters who argue to the point of being unlikeable are an instant turn-off for me, and unfortunately that is how I found Reid and Olivia to be. Even worse, their behaviors become more reprehensible as the film goes on. As regular readers of our site know, if I don’t have at least one character whose personality and story arc I can get behind, I find a film less interesting to watch and tough to recommend. Also, a couple of supporting characters are seemingly meant to add mystery to the proceedings but when all is said and done, I was wondering why it was truly necessary for them to be a part of the plot.
Mike: Doing a movie like Drive Back (keeping it as vague as possible), is tricky because there are numerous other films that play in similar, if not the same, sandboxes as this does which will inevitably cause some folks to say “It’s like [BLANK], only in the woods”. There’s also a few plot holes, one large one involving an elderly shopkeeper who sends the couple onto the shortcut that leads to their troubles which will have viewers wondering why she did it in the first place. Was she aware of what awaited them, and if so, why send them that way? To say more would get into spoiler territory, if I haven’t already ventured too far into that realm already.
The Verdict
Joseph: It’s difficult to discuss much of the plot of Drive Back without heading into spoiler territory, so I’ll try to leave that part of my review to the above official synopsis. I will say, though, that the official synopsis stating “must escape from a seemingly endless forested backroad” hints heavily toward the science fiction element on which this film relies. Viewers who enjoy thinking about a film’s breadcrumbs after watching it might get some extra enjoyment out of Drive Back. I recommend the film mostly for killer-whodunit fans.
Mike: While Drive Back DOES share its DNA with other (and in some cases superior) movies, Ashford has crafted a suspenseful and somewhat intriguing movie highlighted by the lead actors’ performances. Fans of similar movies will enjoy this, although to give you examples would be ruining the film’s hook, even if said hook and related twists are a bit telegraphed.
Drive Back
Directed By: Cody Ashford
Written By: Jon Sarro
Starring: Robert Lewis Stephenson, Tammy Kaitz, Whit Kunschik, Zack Gold
Run Time: 1h 34m
Rating: NR
Release Date: August 15, 2024 (United States)
No trailer was available at the time of this review
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