Southbound (2015) Reviews

• Inventive and unique

  vasiln2016-02-11

  Southbound does three things well. First, it has some genuinely new stories to tell. That's not typical for horror, where the same few stories are iterated upon repeatedly. Second, it has fascinating characters that are brought to vivid life, with remarkably few brush strokes, but without ever resorting to stereotype. The quality of the writing, direction, and acting shine. Finally, each of Southbound's authors know to leave enough unsaid. Each chapter suggests a world of back story, but there's no spoon anywhere in sight. Which is particularly important for horror, where what is made explicit can never approach the creepiness that is only imaginable. What does it do wrong? Well, the effects can be shoddy, and there are a few scenes designed around an effect, rather than the effect crafted to the vision, leaving those scenes wooden. But that's all, and for each awkward bit of gore, there are two or three masterfully directed scenes to compensate. Southbound is a seriously enjoyable horror flick. See it when you can.

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• Excellent, fresh horror-anthology

  navinramaswaran2015-09-18

  Checked Southbound out at the Midnight Madness screening at TIFF 2015 and it was a blast. A throwback to the horror-anthology style of the 80's but with a fresh twist on the wraparound. The device in which each segment flows into the next was unique and added a new layer to the experience. I am a huge fan of horror anthologies in general (VHS, ABC's of Death, Late Night Double Feature, etc.) but occasionally they seem like a collection of shorts thrown together. While there is a charm to those types of anthologies, Southbound is clearly well thought out and designed. Loved all the segments, with "The Accident" being my favourite. This is a well written, shot, directed and performed feature. Highly recommended.

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• Welcome to a fantastically done ride through Hell!

  subxerogravity2016-02-09

  Or at least a really cool version of Hell. Several stories connected together to create one big vicious cycle of a horror story about the misfortune of a few people to end up on the wrong side of the dessert. It's an anthology that reminds me of the Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt, and it's truly on the level of creativity, especially when it comes to story telling visually. Not surprisingly done by the same team as the ones who brought us V/H/S. If you love that movie, this is right up your alley. It was scary, gory, and messes with your mind, all at once, and it's perfect. Thumbs up!

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• Don't expect it to make much sense.

  BA_Harrison2016-03-10

  I notice that, thus far, none of the reviewers here on IMDb have attempted to give a plot summary for Southbound, which is not all that surprising given just how weird the film is. Although often described as an anthology, the format isn't a series of distinctly separate tales tied together by a wraparound story, as one might expect: instead, the film consists of several related dramas that weave together throughout the course of one night, the order of which goes like this… "The Way Out": two men in a truck are pursued by several hellish, skeletal wraiths, but find themselves caught in a inexplicable loop that sees them repeatedly returning to the same location—a desert truck stop/motel. Some inventive CGI creatures make this section bearable, but what the heck is happening, I haven't the foggiest! "Siren: Three girls check out of the same motel to continue their road-trip, but experience a flat tire that leaves them stranded. A passing couple give the girls a lift to their house, and offer them a room for the night. This being a horror film, their hosts turn out to be strange cultists who use the girls in a bizarre ritual. This part of the film is extremely predictable: as soon as the girls break down, it is obvious that they'll fall foul of passing strangers. "Accident": A man driving down a seemingly deserted highway accidentally runs down one of these girls as she tries to escape the cultists. Panicking, he calls 911, and is directed to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, the building is deserted, so the helpful EMT (emergency medical technician) gives instructions on how to save the girl's life. The girl dies, but the man is sent to a locker room where he finds clean clothes, and then directed to a car identical to his own, albeit without any damage. The relieved man drives away from the hospital. "Accident" makes no sense whatsoever, but at least there is some decent gore along the way, with the girl's leg hanging off and a botched attempt at compressing her lung. "Jailbreak": The EMT who has helped the man in the hospital is shown to be speaking from a public call box. She hangs up the phone and enters a bar. A man brandishing a shotgun comes into the bar soon after and demands to know what has happened to his sister. The bartender says he will take the man to her, and leads him to a strange tattoo parlour where the woman is working. She says that she is happy there, but the gunman drags her to his vehicle and races off into the desert. His car breaks down and he is attacked by a group of naked men. Regarding the story, your guess is as good as mine, but we are offered more gore in the form of some juicy shotgun blasts (including an exploding head) which makes the confusion slightly more bearable. "The Way In": The film ends where it started… in the desert. A group of masked men attack a family in their home, but find the daughter harder to deal with than they expected, especially when her one of the wraiths from the opening scene emerges from her back and the ground around them begins to crumble. As you might have fathomed by now, Southbound left me more than a little confused by its bizarre narrative. I enjoyed the occasional spot of splatter, but on the whole, I'd much rather just watch Creepshow again: I understand that film.

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• Has the heart of classic horror comics.

  sam214622016-02-10

  This was one of the most surprising finds in recent years. It absolutely has no right, whatsoever, to be as entertaining as it is. If you are a horror fan you are in for a treat as it solidly checks off every box one can imagine. Its varied yet interlocking tales serve up something for almost every taste. From ghost story to evil old god worship to body horror to home invasion thriller it merrily jumps about in a way that could have proved confusing and offsetting but, instead, seems to act more as a museum tour on all the things that make us check the locks and fear the shadows. While there will, no doubt, be some debate as to what the pocket universe we are presented with represents, there is no doubt, in my mind, that it represents a person or persons who made a movie from an old school heart with a modern day sensibility. As stated in the summary it very much reminds me of the best of the classic horror comics such as the EC Comics titles which began their lives in the very early 1950's. That being said do not mistake this for an old fashioned movie. It is very much genre savvy for today's eyes, ears and mind. In almost total, it is well acted, directed, written, scored and there is a fair share of completely creepy cinematography. It will leave one with both haunting imagery as well as interesting trains of thought to follow, if you dare. Huge hats off to those who gifted us with this. This is how good horror can be and I truly hope it finds its way to a far higher place in this world than the vast majority of horror that tends to cross my eyes these days.

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