It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Released in 2010 and written/directed by Justin Head, "Night Drive" is a South African action/adventure with horror elements about an evening safari drive with a group of six tourists, two guides and the son of the head guide. They run afoul of violent poachers and their mad witchdoctor. This is a stylish and violent flick with gore galore and a cool, unconventional opening. It eventually settles into a survival situation in the night wilderness. I don't know what the budget was, but the movie doesn't come across as low-budget; it's expertly made. Unfortunately, we don't really get to know the tourists, except for an unbelievably hostile dude, who's a turn-off. As such, it's hard to care about them and their outcome. The main protagonist is good (the son of the head guide), but the filmmakers drop the ball with the women. I suppose the white woman would've worked out, but they don't do enough with her. I did like the unexpected revelation about the witchdoctor at the end, but the second half should've been better considering the quality set-up. The script needed spruced-up to make the most of the situation, increase suspense, etc. Still, this is a very worthwhile jungle adventure with a side of horror. The film runs 103 minutes and was shot Johannesburg and Broederstroom, North West, South Africa.GRADE: Borderline B/B- (6.5/10)

NIGHT DRIVE is one of two English language contributions to the horror genre from South African film makers and it was also refreshing to see a South African film that didn't revolve around Apartheid or racism and for the life of me I still don't know why there has to be so many films that are about Apartheid and racism, they're like a dozen remakes of one film about a subject that's been exploited up to a point where you need to tell script writers to find a new hobby.Anyway I really enjoyed NIGHT DRIVE, it was very much along the lines of WRONG TURN and a not so well known but very good horror movie called BORDERLAND that revolved around three young people taking a trip to Mexico and becoming potential victims of a cult sacrificing people in their rituals and its based on true events.However, like the negative comment on NIGHT DRIVE's IMDb web page stated this film is offensive, South African critics were divided in a way I never saw before but that is what a film of this genre has always done, there is also a golden rule a film maker needs to know, if you're afraid to offend people then don't make a film like this because that's exactly what it will do, this film will rub a few people the wrong way mainly because the plot revolves around poaching and black magic but what the film isn't is thin on plot, the characters are well developed even though they're not very likable some of the fates that befall most of the victims here are acts you wouldn't even wish on your worst enemy and that automatically makes you cheer for the protagonists, that's what this film does very well, it depicts killers that are just that evil.The acting is good all around, its not as plastic as in South Africa's favorite soap opera called 7DE LAAN, the cast here really do a good job with the material.Overall, fans of films like WRONG TURN and THE HILLS HAVE EYES should probably like this film, the gore effects are well done as well its not that digital crap its gore that's actually there and the acting is very good too and for a South African production it doesn't look cheap at all, it has great production values for a South African film.

South African cinema may have a long way to go before it can churn out movies as good as District 9 on a regular basis, but I'm happy to see them step away from movies about apartheid and racism and try something different once in awhile. While I've seen scarier movies than Night Drive, I did think it delivered the goods enough times to make it worthwhile. The writing and dialogue won't win any Oscars, but it never seemed to get tripped up with anything too obvious and contrived. It was a bloody slasher flick that knew when to be scary and when to give us a breather.The African bush offers a lot of potential for scary movies and I hope this is something filmmakers keep exploring. The juxtaposition of its daylight beauty with its nighttime dangers can take a good writer and director anywhere. Hopefully Night Drive is just a start with what can be done when filmmakers take advantage of what their own country offers them.

I have to mention that the marketing campaign behind Night Drive in South Africa has been every bit as engrossing, controversial and entertaining as the film itself. Ahead of the film's local release, fake pamphlets advertising a quack doctor paying cash for human body parts – as well as offering rhino horn – were distributed in a middle-class suburb of Johannesburg. It caused an uproar that quickly went viral and spread across the globe. When the campaign was finally revealed as being part of a spoof marketing campaign for the film it created an unprecedented public outrage. Rhino conservation and so-called 'muti' murders in South Africa are very sensitive issues, particularly the illegal trade in human body parts which most consider a taboo subject. The campaign brought these issues into the mindset of middle-class South Africa and probably created a much-needed awareness and focus on these crimes, not to mention an effective promotional tool for the film. It reminded me of the public hysteria generated by Orson Welles's radio show where listeners actually believed earth was being invaded by aliens.Marketing campaigns aside, Night Drive is a long overdue genre film from South Africa, and it doesn't fail to deliver. I attended a special screening in downtown Johannesburg not expecting much from the film. It's been tried in South Africa before and just never managed to hit the mark. Night Drive grabbed me from the get-go and I felt unsettled, disturbed, emotionally charged and entertained all at once. Stark cinematography, a haunting score, strong direction and a well-written script gives Night Drive its gritty and realistic edge. Billed as a slasher film, I actually thought it had more of the hallmarks of a thriller, but I guess the blood, guts and gore took care of any intellectualizing.The film's about an ex-undercover cop who joins a group of tourists on a night drive safari deep into the heart of the African bush, where they find themselves stranded after their vehicle breaks down. Then s**t starts to hit the fan. As the plot unfolds and the blood starts flowing, the ex-cop learns that animal poachers are now targeting humans for their body parts to be used for witchcraft purposes. Their leader is a mysterious witchdoctor known as the Hyena Man who has notorious reputation for terrorizing the locals. The chilling atmosphere is further amplified by the sounds of hyenas circling the tourists who are known to have developed a taste for human blood because of all the victims left in the Hyena Man's wake. All this proves to be a volatile cocktail when the tourists start turning on each other amidst the carnage.A good thriller explores the darker side of human nature and Night Drive does this credibly, with excellent performances from the ensemble cast. The film is brutal and bloody but still manages to seamlessly interweave the back stories of each one of the characters into one chilling theme: how fear can consume us.It's a gutsy move by the filmmakers to take on some very contentious issues affecting South Africa: violence, poaching and 'muti' murders – but isn't that what films are supposed to do: be provocative? Despite all the controversy, I think it's a thoroughly entertaining film and a welcome addition to the South African film stable.Also check out 'SOUTH Africa FALLS FOR HORROR MOVIE STUNT': http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12570198