Films based on urban legends are a staple of the genre, films based on three of them aren’t so common. BUCKOUT ROAD combines three urban legends from the same stretch of highway in Westchester County, New York. Located a mere twenty miles from the town of Sleepy Hollow, (yes that’s a real place), Buckout Road is claimed to be the most haunted stretch of blacktop on Earth. Matthew Currie Holmes weaves a trio of these hauntings into an interesting tale.
Aaron (Evan Ross ATL) returns home from the military to stay with his psychiatrist uncle Lawrence (Danny Glover LETHAL WEAPON). His uncle is involved in a case involving three college students who have been experiencing strange events since a class project involving the happenings on Buckout Road.
Aaron becomes involved with one of them, Cleo (Dominique Provost-Chalkley THE SEASONING HOUSE, WYNONNA EARP). Along with some help from Reverend Mike (Colm Feore HOUSE OF CARDS, PAINKILLERS) they need to find out what’s responsible for the events and how to stop it before it’s too late.
For his debut feature, Holmes is blessed with a great cast of veterans and talented up and coming talent that really helps to sell the film’s at times convoluted plot. Taking three tales involving cannibals, ghosts, and witches and building a plot where one, (but which one), is true means things can get pretty convoluted at times. All three tales are recreated within the main story, the best being the albino flesh-eaters which is done in grindhouse style.
The film has some nice shocks and effective gore to go with the story though it never gets overly bloody. The result is an involving and suspenseful film that suffers from a fairly predictable outcome but is a lot of fun along the way.
BUCKOUT ROAD is playing at this year’s Blood in the Snow festival.