As great as these trips are, they also come with a slew of unique stresses. The car rental, securing the home and pets while away, work absences, the road conditions, the weather conditions, the places to eat and stay, the unfamiliar locals, the lack of phone or internet service, and the simple act of driving that long and that far - especially when you normally don't drive at all (such as the case with us).
This year's trip went relatively smoothly, minus the flat tire in the Montana Rockies, the intense thunderstorm that made sleeping in the family camper impossible, and the visibility issues due to wild fires.
We stayed several nights in unfamiliar and very small towns in Montana. After 8-9 hours of driving each day, we welcomed our quirky, family owned hotel rooms with a sigh of relief and then quickly downed a couple pints of local brews at the bar down the street. And I tell you what, sometimes a beer never tastes better than at that time. Especially when those drinks are bought for you by the locals just because (which happened in every town we stayed at, no joke. It was awesome).
Everywhere we went we were greeted with kindness, great hospitality, and when our tire went flat we were promptly taken care of by the local repair man who had no problem smoking a cigarette next to the gas pumps.
Although our road was long and fraught with peril, everything turned out great in the end and we walked away with a lot of great stories to laugh about later.
So, naturally, when I got home I had to watch a movie about the dangers of road tripping.
In Fear is a menacing little British film that does not start out like your typical road trip story - you know, like the happy-go-lucky and barely clothed teens poking fun at each other as they merrily cruise down the road to their impending doom.
Instead, the movie immediately starts off as weird, uncomfortable, and a pretty bad idea. A young couple meet at a bar and a few weeks later decide to road trip to another country. Harmless enough maybe, but it's made pretty clear that the women in this here situation is not entirely comfortable with the plan or the destination. Always. Listen. To. Your. Gut.
Anywhooos...
Their little excursion quickly turned into a nightmare of epic and unreal proportions and all because of crazy people at a bar. We saw crazy people while on our trips to the local taverns but thankfully they were relatively harmless and were simply insistent on showing us pictures of their pets.
In Fear creeps along with remarkable speed and yet also manages to frustrate you along side this unfortunate young couple. As the tensions rise inside the car you can almost feel the tension of fear building outside, as their worst nightmares follow their every move.
This is a clean, sharp, crisp, and highly efficient horror show. With an extremely small cast, excellent use of the scenery and setting, and a whip-smart dialog, I highly suggest In Fear to those who love psychological horror films. Note: the ending is a beast worthy of discussion, so I suggest watching this with a small group of friends. This movie will need your full attention.
Two very important lessons that you can take away from In Fear and continue to take with you on every future trip:
#1: Always follow your gut
#2: Always carry a physical map
Recommended pairings:
Clutter you immediate area with takeout containers, travel guides, and other touristy junk. Keep a bottle of whiskey hidden in the couch seat.
No comments:
Post a Comment