Scenic Route

Entombed by a nightmarish quality, Scenic Route finds two old friends stranded in Death Valley after their vehicle succumbs to the surroundings (and a misguided ploy by one of the duo). The strengths of this thriller, which embraces both psychological and more straightforward approaches to the genre, comes from many facets. Be it the potent performances from Josh Duhamel and Dan Fogler, strong writing from scribe Kyle Killen and a well realized vision of the setting and situation, Scenic Route offers no clear answers but what it does better than most is provide multiple outcomes that are equally compelling across the board. Even what I suppose could be considered the less probable conclusions explore themes even more complex that those of the "reasonable" variety.

Scenic Route is penned by scribe Kyle Killen who gave us the prematurely cancelled television series Awake and the hugely underrated The Beaver with Mel Gibson in 2011. Though wildly different films, this effort caries a very similar feel – an off kilter, dreamlike vibe that services the ending to great effect. He is certainly no stranger to twisting narratives, a strength when coupled with his poignant, natural script culminates in a film that is both close to home and as far from day to day reality as one could fathom.

Some of the chief themes explored include those to do with the expectations and reality of the "American dream," how people change over time but also how at others they are unable, or unwilling to. Killen delves into the jealous underpinnings of a lost friendship and also how people react either to things actually going well in your life or failing to live up to what we dreamed as kids. Fogler's Carter poignantly states that if everyone followed the path of what we drew in elementary school as our future we would live in a world full of pro athletes and astronauts and that we need someone to clean the toilets. It's a rather harsh reality but so is the life or death situation these two face.

Unravelling as a two man show, Scenic Route certainly asks a lot of its leads and in the cases of both Duhamel and Fogler they deliver. Known mostly for playing the slovenly best friend or goofy sidekick to a more straight laced lead, Fogler owns his character who while still a screw- up (at least in the eyes of most) and a bit of a man child is played completely straight. He is as well developed as Duhamel's corporate "stooge" and individual not nearly as unhappy as he expresses. They share highs and lows and banter and fight with an honesty missing from most dramas. Some of what these characters have to say may hit closer to home than you would like to hear. Perhaps most importantly, despite not always being on the best of terms, these are not bad people and we certainly root for them to make it out OK.

Where Scenic Route stumbles from time to time is in the execution of the scuffles and arguments between these two friends as the situation escalates. Their eventual reconciliations certainly ring true given the stage that has been set but the rather volcanic nature of these feuds can be a tad over the top. Who am I to say how I would react if I was dealt the same hand but given the other interactions they ring more false. Additionally, how their missed opportunities for rescue are handled in a rather derivative manner and serve to be more infuriating in how they unravel, more than a soul crushing defeat – just another bump on the road to death. It's unfortunate given how well everything else works.

This brings us to the ending. Always being a positively thinking person, I have a fairly clear comprehension of my version of Scenic Route but more so than usual I actual found it to be more interesting and complex than the flip side. This again stems from ideas surrounding being able to except good things in your life and not always question the little things or that if something exceptional befalls you it must come with a catch. Whatever way someone ultimately view Scenic Route it's difficult to imagine them not leaving with at least something to mull over.

Those who require a clear cut wrap-up will find Scenic Route maddening but those who like their brain to keep firing after the end credits will find what this film has to offer quite compelling. How you view the conclusion will rely entirely on your outlook on life. Optimists, pessimists and everyone in between will have their own view on what transpired and because of it change how they perceive the preceding acts. Different symbolism and foreshadowing will make itself seen depending on what side you land upon and I'm sure repeat viewings will uncover even more subversive dynamics and themes.

I saw this at SXSW on Friday and I was impressed. I didn't know anything about it and was a little worried when I realized 5 minutes in this was going to be a movie of 2 guys in a desert focused on dialogue rather than action (It's incredibly difficult to pull off). Duhammel is great though and carries you through the movie. I've seen him in other stuff but this is the first time I've really seen him stretch himself as an actor and I was really impressed (and I gotta say the mohawk was pretty cool too). The movie manages to put the right amount of tension and character insight throughout to make you feel the characters as people instead of random victims of circumstance. Overall I'd recommend this to others at the very least to see Duhammel push himself as an actor and prove his chops and cause it's an entertaining little picture.

I had the pleasure of attending the world premiere of Scenic Route on the first night of Austin's SXSW Film Festival. This disturbingly powerful drama was very well-received by the crowd. The film was both well-written and well-acted. This is the story of two thirty-something guys who used to be close friends, but have drifted apart in recent years as they have struggled to find themselves as adults. Both men are evidently lost within themselves long before their truck breaks down in the desert. The story could easily have been clichéd, but instead their struggle to survive against the elements becomes a journey of self- exploration and rediscovery. They begin to turn on each other as they confront the uncomfortable demons within their own deeply troubled selves.

Josh Duhamel and Dan Fogler show new depth as actors in this film. Kyle Killen's script is far better than his deeply flawed script for the The Beaver. The only major flaw appears to be one unnecessary flashback scene that takes the audience away from the stark dry desert that has in and of itself become a character in the film. Although, it is never stated where it is set, the credits reveal that it was filmed in California's Death Valley. The Q&A with cast makes clear just how difficult it was to film under conditions of wind and extreme temperatures in the desert. The dramatic journey of the Scenic Route is compelling and entrancing. While the film can be difficult to watch at times and will certainly be far too dark for some viewers, its journey through a physical and spiritual desert is overpowering. I recommend the film to all viewers who want to be challenged by a dark and disturbing journey. I really hope that Scenic Route gets wider distribution so that it can be viewed by a wider audience.

With a score of 6.1 when I started to watch, I wasn't expecting to much. Well, it's proved once more. Scores on IMDb can't be called trustworthy and they can bias your opinion.

Both Josh and Dan deliver some hilarious and profound acting! With a story not to far fetched and delivered at a steady pace, this movie was actually quite entertaining. It kept me interested throughout and had me on the edge of my seat. It's safe to assume you can easily empathize on what these guys have been through. Not to many plot holes and the ending was satisfying too. It makes you think about what one should do when you end up in a situation like this.

Also it reminded me of me and my best friend. There were quite some similarities. I will recommend this to friends, that's for sure.

This movie is advertised as a thriller/drama/horror, but in my opinion it's neither of those: for the major part it impressed me as some kind of black comedy. We see two best friends drive through the desert to some non-specified place, then their car breaks down and they get stranded in the soaring heat in middle of nowhere. The stress of this puts a heavy strain on their relation: while waiting and hoping for some passing vehicle to help them, they go from reminiscing about the good and lesser periods in their friendship, to bickering, fighting, and at last even physically attacking each other.

In the beginning this was reasonably entertaining, but gradually it got rather repetitive, even a bit tiresome, and I kept waiting for something exciting to enliven it, like a serial killer passing by, or an attack from cannibalistic hillbillies, or wild animals, or even aliens! But it kept on being just these two angry guys; in fact it felt like watching a play in a theater with just two actors. Both Josh Duhamel and Dan Fogler did absolutely great, but it was the script that was too one-dimensional and superficial to keep my interest going.

Add to this, that these characters acted constantly as stupid as possible: to drive into the desert without any provisions or water to begin with, but also stubbornly for several days and nights stay with their car in stead of start walking; or for various unfathomable reasons wander off from the car into the desert and lying down in the sand, so that the occasional car that drove by couldn't even see them! Anyway, the seemingly reassuring ending and epilogue got an ultimate cynical twist, in fact the only thing that lifted this film to a slightly higher level than just being amusing.