Review: Jason Christopher’s Down the Road (2012)

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

PLOT: A group of college students attempt to escape their troubled lives only to find themselves fighting for their lives from a revenge seeking madman.

REVIEW: A nasty revenge/slasher flick has reared its head in the form of Down the Road, an effort from director Jason Christopher. This one deals with a dad who happens to catch his daughter getting mowed over by a stupid drunken teenager. He ends up disappearing, and becomes and urban legend in the process for any other stupid teenagers who decide to engage in alcoholic tendencies.

Our main character is Jenn. Jenn’s a bit of a nut who’s been released from the nuthouse (and her doctor is Clint Howard!), and like any good group of friends would, they immediately want to ‘bring her out of her shell’ by bringing her on a big bash of a camping trip the moment she gets home. No rest for the wicked, I guess. From here, Dad shows up again to wipe these kids out. This movie anchors itself on the performance of Brian Gallagher as Hunter Isth, the scorned father. The guy has a good range of emotion and brings some oomph to the role. You might not root for him, but you’ll certainly understand his motive and believe his role.

As for Jenn, she’s played by Jenn Dance and is played fairly well, while the rest of the cast is pretty disposable. These characters aren’t overly exciting and end up feeling a bit like fodder. At least they die in pretty creative ways though, and I must say that the effects are pretty great, for a flick with such a low budget. Also worth noting is that the film looks great. The budget seems to be on the screen and the whole thing looks pretty professional. The cinematography is quite good, although to be fair I felt that the movie was edited in a bizarre way so that it came off a bit jarring at times.

The flick packs a fun ending that kicks it old school, too which I appreciated. It also sports a great soundtrack (you’ll even notice a song from CKY!) that keeps things moving along. The bottom line here is that although there isn’t a lot here that will shatter new ground, Down the Road provides some solid entertainment with a big budget feel and a few twists and turns that will undoubtedly keep you interested. A great performance from Brian Gallagher highlights this labor of love that pays homage to other great 80s horror flicks. This one is well-crafted and although it tells a familiar story, it’s told well. I recommend it! Check it out