-Written by Kyle Bain.
Late at night in an old diner, two men sit and discuss their next move. When a strange, tattered old man comes in, only able to repeat one phrase, “Old Mill Road,” things take a turn for the worse. One for the Road follows two good samaritans as they journey off into the darkness with the old man. What they find will certainly alter their lives forever.
Darkness just exists within every bit of this film, right from the start. From the opening scene viewers are introduced to a level of darkness that will transcend the remainder of the film, expressing to viewers the struggles that would eventually befall all involved in the story. One for the Road depends on a sense of mystery in order for it to be successful, in order for the film to work and viewers to be able to appreciate all that is being said and done. While the darkness remains present throughout the course of the film, in the diner at the start of the film, it creates an ominous atmosphere, existing in places around the diner, but not consuming the diner as a whole. There’s great balance achieved here with the use of light, and it works to set the film up going forward, while still keeping everyone present in the moment.
Like most horror films, One for the Road consists of bad decision after bad decision. These mistakes could have been avoided by the individuals on screen, and while they are essential to the film moving forward, things like this are becoming increasingly frustrating. With the number of films I’ve seen at this point, this seems to happen over and over again–and for once I’d like to see just the opposite.
It is important to note, however, that Writer Corey Slater can’t be blamed [entirely] for this, as One for the Road is a film based on Stephen King’s work.
With that being said, I think that One for the Road uses the idea of humanity to its benefit, ensuring that real human emotions play a role in this story, driving it forward from the start. What is interesting about the ridiculous decisions that the characters make throughout this film is that the decisions aren’t made out of sheer stupidity, but out of the goodness of their hearts. I still have trouble excusing these decisions, but at least there’s something that sort of makes sense in these decisions. One for the Road gets a pass in this regard, even though this aspect of horror filmmaking still frustrates me.
One for the Road possesses great exposition accurately moving us through the film at an effective rate; that is until the final act of the film. All of the sudden everything happens. Things happen too abruptly here, though, and I feel that this aspect of the film needs a bit more time to develop.
One for the Road does possess some issues, and the reality is that they come down to preference. I am sure that others will watch this short film and be incredibly accepting of the things that I struggled with throughout. However, I do believe that the film needed to be altered just a bit in order for it to be fully successful. I did, however, find it to be incredibly entertaining, wonderfully mysterious, and superbly acted. One for the Road is, again, based on the short story of the same name by King, and it possesses all of the beloved elements that one might typically see in his works. If you’re a fan of horror, or simply a fan of King, then One for the Road will certainly appeal to you.
Directed by Daniel Carsenty.
Written by Corey Slater & Stephen King.
Starring Alexander Flores, Travis Hammer, Katie Adler, Elester Latham, Richard Clarke Larsen, Lisa Goodman, & Enzo Fabiani.
8/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING
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