It seems like horror movies often straddle the line between being truly scary and being campy, where the horror turns into a joke because it loses its believability. In some cases horror films like Alien are truly frightening (despite the preposterous plot involving an indestructible monster), while Attack of the Killer Tomatoes falls on the laughable side. Then there are films like Joyride, which (in my opinion) straddles that line of being both fear-provoking and laughable.

Joyride has a simplistic plot with college student Lewis Thomas (Paul Walker) deciding to drive across country during a school break, with the intention of picking up his once-girlfriend Venna (Leelee Sobieski) in Colorado. Soon after departing, his plans get messed up when his wayward brother Fuller (Steve Zahn) needs to be sprung from jail.

Lewis takes a detour to bail-out Fuller, who is a prankster and all-around wise guy. While at a rest stop Fuller gets a CB radio installed in the car so he can have some fun on the long drive. Before long Fuller cooks-up a plot to tease an old-time trucker on the radio, Rusty Nail, into thinking Lewis is a sweet and sexy young lady with the CB handle of Candy Cane.

The prank is funny at first and then quickly forgotten. However, when they stop at an old motel for the night Fuller goads Lewis into picking-up the prank again. Before long the mysterious trucker Rusty Nail is conned into paying a nighttime visit to the motel room of a crabby, middle-age man (Kenneth White), thinking he was visiting Candy Cane. But the practical joke backfires as Fuller and Lewis soon realize they've crossed paths with a homicidal maniac who is hell-bent on getting deadly revenge for their little trick.

I thought Joyride started out really good. The film is well-paced and you get to know the two main characters to some degree. As they drive along aspects of their family life are revealed and the lonely highway sets the stage for the coming horror. As the plot unfolds the tension is gradually upped when the maniac trucker trails them day and night, creating some humorous scenes when the characters are scared out of their wits.

However, the latter half of Joyride loses its taunt suspense when plot holes big enough to drive a tractor trailer through start to open up. The addition of Lewis' lady friend in the car adds a good twist, but then the homicidal trucker starts doing things that cannot be readily explained. It's as if he has omnipotent powers to hear them wherever they go. Eventually the plot gets way out of control with everyone doing stupid things that are hard to swallow.

Both Paul Walker and Steve Zahn do a good job of acting in this film. Zahn's character has some laugh-a-minute lines like when a fellow traveler sees he's behaving oddly and asks if he's OK: '' We're okay. Now that we're not murdered or anything.''

Walker's more reserved character who only reluctantly goes along with his brother's pranks makes a good contrast. The movie also throws in some other minor characters that add to the film's depth, such as a wise-@ss Wyoming Police officer, a tongue-tied truck stop waitress, and a small-town loud mouth.

It's a shame the film's plot goes overboard because most of Joyride is enjoyable to watch. The acting was good, and the filming along the desolate highways and seedy motels made it all believable. I especially liked a scene where a sharp, harsh telephone ring in a flea-bag motel made the characters jump.

But the silliness in the movie's second half had me laughing instead of being tense. Perhaps director John Dahl sensed this too, as the DVD version includes an alternate ending (that is worse than the one used). Overall I would recommend Joyide because it does have some good elements to it, but just be prepared to set-aside all believability as the film progresses.

© trailhound. 2008.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older