Joy Ride

Though hardly in the same league as filmmaker John Dahl’s previous jaunts into thriller territory (eg 1992’s Red Rock West, 1994’s The Last Seduction, etc), Joy Ride ultimately comes off as a sporadically uneven yet thoroughly entertaining B-movie that boasts a number of genuinely exhilarating sequences and set-pieces. Paul Walker stars as Lewis Thomas, a straight-laced college student who agrees to a cross-country trip after a friend (Leelee Sobieski’s Venna) reveals that she doesn’t have a ride home. Lewis’ plans take a hit after his troublesome brother (Steve Zahn’s Fuller) tags along for the journey, with the siblings’ decision to taunt a psychotic trucker (Ted Levine’s Rusty Nail) eventually resulting in an increasingly deadly game of cat and mouse. It’s worth noting that Joy Ride is never quite as predictable as one might’ve anticipated, as screenwriters Clay Tarver and J.J. Abrams prove fairly adept at confounding the viewer’s expectations at virtually every turn – with this particularly true of a mid-film stretch wherein it seems as though the threat has been neutralized. There’s consequently little doubt that the tension level does tend to ebb and flow throughout the proceedings, which admittedly ensures that the three central figures are afforded plenty of character-building sequence (ie there reaches a point at which one can’t help but root for their survival). In addition to Levine’s chilling voice work as Rusty Nail, Joy Ride undoubtedly benefits from the inclusion of an unexpectedly enthralling climax – which proves instrumental in cementing the movie’s place as an above-average contemporary thriller.

*** out of ****