Road Games (1981)

Synopsis:

In Australia, trucker Pat Quid (Stacy Keach, The Long Riders) teams up with a hitchhiker (Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween) to capture a serial killer.

Reaction & Thoughts:

“… it’s Q-U-I-D. ‘D’ as in death to young girls, you cretin!”

When we think of filmmakers who have been greatly influenced by Alfred Hitchcock, Brian De Palma always comes to mind. But Aussie director Richard Franklin was a huge Hitch fanboy too — if you like Hitchcock, there is a good chance that you will enjoy some of Franklin’s movies. Franklin’s thriller Road Games has all the hallmarks of a solid Hitchcock facsimile: dark humor, murder, voyeurism, obsession, etc.

Authentically sinister and almost uncomfortably funny, Road Games takes place across deserted roads in Australia, and director Franklin imbues the film with a palpable sense of isolation. A game of cat-and-mouse (or dingo-and-bush-rat) ensues between hero and villain that leads to a wonderfully quirky and nightmarish finale.

Everett De Roche (Long Weekend), who wrote the fine screenplay, once described the movie as “Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954) in a vehicle.” As a matter of fact, Road Games not only channels Hitchcock’s classic 1954 thriller, but also the Master of Suspense’s North by Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960) and Frenzy (1972). And tension is built slowly over time, which is clearly a nod to Hitchcock’s famous slow-burn style.

The theatrical poster and synopsis suggest violence and mayhem, but nothing could be further from the truth. Trust me, this is a rather old-fashioned thriller, closer to the classic thrillers of yesterday than to the violent slashers of the 1980s.

Road Games is very laid back — the emphasis is more on thrills than on violence. The movie doesn’t show a single drop of blood — the film is rated PG — and minus the ending, which was a last-minute addition requested by the producers (totally unnecessary, I must add), violence occurs off the screen. The long-awaited climax, which takes place at one really odd location, is funny, suspenseful, and very satisfying.

Stacy Keach is perfect as the ordinary truck driver who is confronted with extraordinary circumstances. We immediately identify with Keach because he is average. There is nothing brave or heroic about him: he is simply a man trying to survive. I must point out that Keach is especially good at acting with his eyes.

Jamie Lee Curtis is “Hitch” (another homage to The Master of Suspense), Keach’s unlikely sidekick — she’s Grace Kelly to Keach’s Jimmy Stewart. Keach and Curtis have great chemistry, and it is fun to see them reinvent Hitchcock’s traditional hero & heroine. Grant Page (Stunt Rock) is absolutely terrifying as the vicious serial killer (Page was also the stunt coordinator). And the grungy pooch is a scene-stealer!

Conclusions & Final Thoughts:

Watching Road Games late at night, I felt like I had taken a ride down the subconscious of the Aussie landscape (I’ve never been to Australia — it’s on my bucket list, though). The fact that the ride was filled with humor and thrills made it all the sweeter. Anyhow, Road Games is a minimalist, scary and funny fun thriller, tailor-made for Hitchcock aficionados. Highly recommended! Color, 101 minutes, Rated PG.

This is my contribution to The Blizzard of Oz Blogathon, hosted by The Midnite Drive-In.

Theatrical Trailer: