Film Review: Joy Ride (2001)

There are certain films that, despite their merits, are hindered by a detail that renders them dated or less convincing. Joy Ride, 2001 thriller directed by John Dahl, falls into this category, where a specific element holds it back from achieving perfection.

The plot follows Lewis Thomas (played by Paul Walker), young man who has just bought a car and uses it on a trip to Colorado where he would reunite with an Venna Wilcox (played by Leelee Sobieski), a lifelong friend and girl with whom he always been secretly in love. Along the way he picks up brother Fuller (played by Steve Zahn) from jail. Brothers play around with CB radio and get in start conversation with truck driver named “Rusty Nail” (voiced by Ted Levine). Lewis decides to impersonate female named “Candy Cane” and sets up a fake date in the motel, where Rusty would instead meet obnoxious male guest. Their prank, however, gets sinister turn when the guest is later horrifically injured and brother realise that they deal with murderous psychopath. At first, they simply think that they would get away, but when they pick Venna up, it turns out that Rusty Nail follows their every move.

Joy Ride was one of the early projects of Bad Robot, the production company founded by renowned producer J. J. Abrams, who co-wrote the script with Clay Tarver. Director John Dahl, known for his stylish neo-noir films, infuses elements of noir into Joy Ride, although its genre leans more towards typical slasher horror, reminiscent of 1980s films where young protagonists face mysterious and unstoppable killers. Drawing on the legacy of road films merged with horror or thriller genres, Joy Ride transforms American highways into a chilling backdrop, echoing classics like Spielberg's Duel (1971) and The Hitcher (1986).

The production faced challenges, mostly to do with different script version, which reflected in five alternative endings. There were also editing issues, with scenes based on different script versions ending in final film, making character of Venna romantically interested in both brothers. However, Dahl's adept direction nevertheless secured a cohesive and engaging final product. Dahl exceled in character development, suspense-building, and delivred thrilling sequences while maintaining a brisk pace.

The cast delivers strong performances, with Paul Walker's charm complemented by Steve Zahn's reliable humor and Leelee Sobieski's portrayal of the girlfriend-turned-damsel in distress. However, it is Ted Levine's voice work as Rusty Nail that truly stands out, adding a menacing presence to the unseen antagonist.

One aspect that makes Joy Ride look dated is its reliance on CB radio as a plot device, a technology that has becoming obscure even in time of production with the rise of cellphones. If made few years or decades earlier, or simply being set in those periods, the film would have worked much better. Despite this, the film remains highly recommended. Its modest box office success and development of small cult status later led to two direct-to-video sequels - Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead in 2008 and Joy Ride 3: Roadkill in 2014.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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