Touches You

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

BACKROAD is an intelligent and engaging thriller with a surprising element of the supernatural blended seamlessly into it. The film stands out among independent horror in that it doesn't go for the "cheap shots" of excessive gore or nudity to sell it. Instead the film relies on story. Matthew Carter's performance is particularly noteworthy. It would be easy to slip into cliché as the killer, but Carter brings an air of unnerving believability to the role that makes his character engaging, without being sympathetic or comical. In addition to his work as writer & director, Slaten handled the film's cinematography with a skillful hand. The movie is filled with interesting camera angles and shots that show Slaten's eye for the camera. One shot of blood dripping into water is particularly striking. Overall BACKROAD is one of the best horror/thrillers to come out this year, so check it and find out why they say Jasper Hawkins has the devil in every inch of him!

Backroad is set in East Texas, where evil sometimes wears a cowboy hat. The peaceful countryside is contrasted to the disturbing scenes of violence that punctuate this artistically composed story of how evil grows, and sometimes, how it all ends up. The performances were excellent, neither understated nor overdone. The cinematography was impressive, especially considering the fact that this was all done on a shoestring. The story was disturbing, a bit intense for me at moments, but not a plot less gore-fest, as so many horror films have gotten to be. There is enough ambiguity and symbolism to make me pay attention and think a bit, to make me discuss the film with others, and to make me want to see it again. In fact, I bought the DVD, and I hope that they give it a wider release at some point. Having a rare limited-edition copy won't do me any good, since I refuse to sell it.