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by Thomas M. Sipos,
managing editor [September 26, 2022]
[HollywoodInvestigator.com]Sarah (Shannon Dalonzo) and Michael (Justin Gordon) are driving
alone in the American southwest desert. No other cars in sight. As
they discuss their upcoming marriage, they strike something in the
road. But when they stop to look, they see no damage to their car.
Nothing in the road.
Aside from a patch of ice. In the desert?
A strange black muscle car begins to harass and chase them. They seek
refuge at a rest stop diner. The locals are friendly enough, but they
act strange. And as the day progresses, the sun never seems to set.
Time doesn't work the same here, a waitress (Jessica Gray) later
explains.
Long before Michael and Sarah figure it out, horror fans will have
guessed that they're dead. Or dying. Or something like that. They're
certainly not in Kansas. The diner patrons and staff all talk in that
vague way that intimates much while saying little specific. "I
don't want to go. I'm afraid."
There seems to be a franchise of diners located just outside the
afterlife. As in the "All Night Diner" episode of the 1997 TV series
Ghost Stories.
The Fearway is like a lot of
horror films. Part of the fun is identifying where you've seen this or
that trope before. It's being marketed as a cross between
Jeepers Creepers and
Duel. Yes, the creature in the black car does resemble "the
Creeper." Horror fans will recognize him as a ferryman type long
before Michael and Sarah do (being your typically clueless horror film
protagonists). And there are some car chases in the desert, though the
film is mostly set at the rest stop.
Actually, The Fearway has more in
common with
The Twilight Zone and
Jacob's Ladder. There's little gore or violence, emphasis being on
the human drama and creepy atmosphere. In
Twilight Zone tradition, you have a couple in a surreal
predicament. And horror fans will readily recognize the
Jacob's Ladder similarities.
The story is entertaining, if familiar. The empty desert vistas and
grungy diner contribute to the film's eerie surrealism. Cinematography
and production design are well done.
The film's weak point is the couple. The actors are likable and
talented, but they are mismatched and poorly directed. Michael says he
and Sarah have been dating since freshmen in high school. Yet while
Dalonzo can pass for 20, Gordon looks to be in his 40s. (The IMDB
gives his age as 44.)
Then there's their incessant banter, all that teasing, lovey-dovy
repartee. They never shut up. I suspect this is to create chemistry
and infuse the film with "heart." Sarah's great love for Michael
becomes important to the film's resolution. But she speaks way too
often of her great love for him, as he does for her. Two rules --
"Less is more." and "Show, don't tell." -- would have
made for a better film.
The Fearway has a "surprise twist"
ending not unlike that of the "Time of Terror" episode of the 1973 TV
series,
Ghost Story/Circle of Fear (also involving an accident on a desert
highway). But whereas "Time of Terror" ends on a sad note,
The Fearway opts for "feel good."
On the whole, The Fearway is an
enjoyable albeit familiar tale, infused with a dose of
Twilight Zone type surrealism.
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