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Bobby
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by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
B Rated R 80 min
If we must have an endless succession of grade B horror films coming down the pike, at least this one has a stellar cast, a well-written script, and is tightly directed by Nimrod Antal. While it’s slicing and dicing, it maintains edge-of-your-seat tension as the sinister events at a creepy motel room put a young couple in danger of being murdered on tape for some sicko’s enjoyment. Yes, they better sleep with their clothes on in this dingy joint.
Amy and David Fox (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) are an estranged married couple who lost their son, which put a strain on their marriage. They are traveling the interstate and David decides to take a short cut on a country road. Right! And thus begins the Foxes’ ordeal at a shabby motel hell, whose owner is using a special room to video real snuff films to sell to truckers. Call it Hotel California–where you can check out, but you can’t leave.
In the beginning of all horror films involving travelers, the driver always does something stupid to get the occupants of the car in trouble. Yes, anyone knows that you never go off the interstate highway and take one of those lonely country roads that always end up at some degenerate’s hideaway where mutant killers lurk in the shadows.
As the hapless couple drives on the two lane road, while Amy sleeps, jerky David takes a short cut to nowhere. When she wakes up, she’s bitchy and he snipes at her telling her she blames him for everything. They’re seething with hate for each other. Suddenly, the Foxes’ BMW experiences engine trouble and they pull into a gas station / motel combo. This spooky station is all lit up, inviting fear and trepidation. There, a strange mechanic helps them, but he is really scuttling their engine. Soon they breakdown again, about two miles from the gas station.
After arguing about every little thing, David and Amy decide to walk back to the gas station. At this point, viewers wish someone would off the bickering couple. When they get back to the gas station/motel, a geeky motel manager (Frank Whaley) tells them the mechanic has gone home and there is no help until morning. However, he will rent them a special room–the honeymoon suit.
Once inside their drab room, Amy and David are too exhausted to argue anymore (finally), so they plop on the bed with their clothes on and try to go to sleep. And so the terror begins. They hear loud knocks at the door but no one is there. Then another series of loud knocks from the adjoining room. This is completely unnerving. David goes to complain to the motel manager. He tells David it’s probably drunk transients making trouble.
Soon David finds some video tapes of people being murdered in what looks like their room. Then he finds the cameras around the room. Okay, this is too much, it’s time to split. Ah, but the bad guys are waiting outside to chase the Foxes back into the room. Now what? Amy’s cell phone is reading “no service” and the level of terror is escalating.
And thus begins Amy and David’s fight for survival in a scenario which is neatly woven and cleverly paced by director Antal. There are some obvious tells that are just red herrings, as the couple unite in their war against the evil motel killers. Just imagining their deaths could end up twisted entertainment for some degenerate truck driver makes them crazy with fear.
Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale work well together and greatly upgrade the quality of this movie. Antal’s skillful staging of the action scenes keeps building the tension. The couple may hate each other but they bond in this life and death struggle. The bottom line: the cast and director pulled off a slick horror thriller that leaves viewers breathless and vowing never to leave the interstate highway under any circumstances.
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