Road Games (1981)



Movie Title: Road Games

Year Released: 1981

Rated: PG

Runtime: 1h 41min

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Director: Richard Franklin

Writer: Everett De Roche

Starring: Stacy Keach, Jamie Lee Curtis, Marion Edward, Grant Page, Alan Hopgood, John Murphy, Bill Stacey, Robert Thompson, Angelica La Bozzetta, Colin Vancao, Killer, Thaddeus Smith, Steve Millichamp

Review: A lone trucker, Pat Quid (Stacy Keach), likes to play games to keep his sanity while making long hauls across the desolate Australian Outback. During his latest drive Quid crosses paths with a killer who plays a rather deadly game with young women he finds along the highway. Now these two are in a twisted, suspense-fueled game of their own where the rules of the road go right out the window. And when the free-spirited Hitch (Jamie Lee Curtis) gets involved you get a terrifying pedal to the metal thriller from Down Under known as... Road Games!

Made during the Ozploitation boom, that lasted from the early 1970s to late 1980s, Road Games is cleverly constructed, slyly written, and wonderfully acted. Director Richard Franklin (Psycho II) ratchets up the tension and zips the audiences along through twists and turns that you won't see coming until it's too late! Think of it kind of like Rear Window set on the road.

Stacy Keach is perfectly cast as trucker Pat Quid. He's likable, funny, and a little eccentric when it comes too keeping his cool on the road. Jamie Lee Curtis continues to be top "scream queen" as a hitchhiker with a heart of gold. Together they try to battle wits with a deadly lady-killer, and have a great chemistry that can go for miles. Keach is especially good as his paranoia, imagination, exhaustion really play havoc on him as this murderous maniac roams free. The scenes where he's alone in the cab of the truck trying to pass the time and trying to make sense out of his suspicions are just awesome! Keach is definitely one of my favorite actors - and Road Games shows him at his very best!

The other great element is the setting. The barren Australian Outback is a unique locale for this kind of thriller. It is vast and open leaving no place to run to whether you are the prey or pursued predator. And the dusty roads, trucks, and rest stops and such really give the audience the sense that our protagonists are very far from any kind of help or safety. I get chills just think about it.

I've seen Road Games a few times now and it has become one of my favorite thrillers of all-time! It has great characters, suspenseful set-pieces, and plenty of good scares and shocks that'll make you rethink your next road trip. Don't miss out on this often overlooked gem! However you can see Road Games be sure to kick the tires and give it a test drive - you won't be disappointed!

Stars (out of 4):
       

Fun Fact: In the original script the name of Quid's dog was supposed to be Bosco. However when Stacy Keach told Richard Franklin that Bosco was actually a chocolate drink in America the name of the dog was changed to Boswell.



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