Top 10: Road Horror#2

Last Updated on July 27, 2021

Written By Serena Whitney:

A sub-genre of movies I
happen to love is the “road movie” genre.   I love this particular type of
movie because it seems to be different in every genre it’s portrayed in.

In dramas, road movies
usually consist of the main character going through a journey of
self-discovery. In comedies, road movies are usually about a couple of
buddies going on an adventure that leads them on a wacky and fun filled
adventure, but in the horror genre, it’s a whole different story.

A horror road movie may
start out like a typical road movie, but the movie usually soon takes a turn
for the worse and most likely consists of a single or group of characters
that must fend themselves off from a psycho on the road.  (Finding their
true selves or having the best road trip of their lives are the last f*cking
things on these characters’ minds by this point.) Here is my list of horror
road movies that have made me want to take a train or a plane for whenever I
have to travel to a far destination.

READ PART 1 OF THIS LIST HERE

WARNING – SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!

5. Natural
Born Killers

I know I just
mentioned this movie in my previous top ten list, (Top ten Lady-killers) but
if I didn’t mention it again this week for road horror movies, a bunch of
you would have been using the Spitting Bullets section to tear me a new a*shole. 
This is most likely the most notorious road movie on the list, because it
offended and freaked out a lot of people. Seeing Mickey and Mallory (Woody
Harrelson and Juliette Lewis) killing tons of people on their gruesome and
murderous road trip was quite disturbing. (Especially with how Oliver Stone
directed it.)

4.
Wolf Creek

What made this
road movie so terrifying was the fact that it was based on actual events. 
Watching these types of movies, you would like to think that these scenarios
couldn’t happen in real life. Surely, there would be some other people
driving on their road, or your cell phone would be working and you could
call for help.  This movie brought attention to the fact that these
horrifying situations can happen.  All you have to do is be in the wrong
place at the wrong time.  I won’t ruin this movie for those who haven’t seen
it yet. It’s still somewhat new. (But don’t watch it alone!)

3.
Near Dark

1987 was the
year for bad ass vampires.  Unfortunately, Near Dark didn’t get much
love during its theatrical run, because The Lost Boys had come out
around the same time.  Although, it didn’t matter because this movie about a
bloodthirsty gang developed a huge cult following shortly after.  I enjoyed
this vampire western because it had a clever and unique take on the vampire
genre. (Ironically enough, I don’t even think the term ‘vampires’ was ever
used to describe the gang in the movie.)

2.
The Hitcher

This movie to this very
day creeps me out. Watching Rutger Hauer stalk, torture, and terrorize C.
Thomas Howell’s character gave me plenty of nightmares when I was little.
Kids are usually scared of the boogeyman or monsters in their closet. When I
was a kid, I was scared John Ryder was going to pop out of my closet and
give me his psycho grin.    This is such a great horror/suspense flick and I
only hope the upcoming remake does it justice.

1. Duel

Sure this movie was
made for TV, but it had two great things about it.  One, it was directed by
then unknown filmmaker, Stephen Spielberg. Two, it was the catalyst to the
road horror movie genre in the first place.  This nearly dialogue-free, cat
and mouse road thriller may not scare you now, but I do think it has
inspired many horror writers and directors to this very day.

READ PART 1 OF THIS LIST HERE