Back Roads

After a mother (Juliette Lewis) goes to prison for shooting her husband in a backwater town in the Eastern USA, a young man (Alex Pettyfer) has to forsake college and take care of his three younger sisters, including a teenage hellion (Nicola Peltz). Meanwhile a wife who lives down the lane catches his interest (Jennifer Morrison). "Back Roads" (2018) is a melancholy psychological family drama with a crime element that could be classified as Southern Gothic. While the events take place in Western Pennsylvania they could occur in any backwater community in the Eastern USA or Canada. The film was shot in St. Francisville, Louisiana, which is a half-hour drive north of Baton Rouge along the Mississippi. Films that come to mind include "Mud" (2012), "Joe" (2013), "Winter's Bone" (2010), "Undertow" (2004), "Snow Angels" (2007), "Monster's Ball" (2001) and "The Fugitive Kind" (1960). The flick leaves you with a bad taste because it deals with some ugly things and features painful emotions, not to mention it's unrelentingly gloomy. If you think your family growing up was dysfunctional, you ain't seen nothing. But, if you reflect on the movie and the understated clues, everything makes sense and is well-written, based on Tawni O'Dell 1999 novel. Just don't expect a pleasant time. The film runs 1 hour, 41 minutes. GRADE: B-/C+

The movie is very bad, very boring and does not have any point of quality film. Bad performance, C story production, a shame to spend money to film something so bad. A waste of time and I do not recommend it to anyone!

Back Roads is messed up, disjointed and dreary, lead character fails to engage audience. Don't understand this ending either, how's sitting in a jail cell helping them. Amber's probably going to continue on with the uncle or whatever... and now you can't do anything about it.

This movies was dark and disturbing. I couldn't tell if the kid couldn't act, or if it was perfect for the roll - so I went with the latter. This was sex in this movie, so didn't watch it on the plane :). The feeling I got, was that they wrote this to be as F'd up as possible, but in the end I realized it was a movie to emphasize (maybe exaggerate some) abuse to make a point. Surprisingly to me, I walked away from it, really liking it.

Alex P. Is now officially the worst actor in existence. No emotion. Wooden dialogue delivery. Monotone voice with not even a facial expression. His lack of personality was exasperating. Not that this plot could have been saved by anyone. Just a bunch of mean hearted selfish losers. Takes bland to new heights. The 2nd youngest daughter showed talent and promise for a successful career. As for the rest the motives were unclear and the sex scenes were very dull. The therapist added nothing special just a face reciting tired old lines. Anyone could of done that role and probably better than her. The whole premise was ok but the makers were inept inexperienced bunglers. This could have worked but failed miserably. Tried for dark and moody and it translated into a big snooze fest.

Come on people thus movie deserves 1 or 2 stars very dissappointed.. Like a Lifetime movie. Bored out of my mind terrible acting trailer was more intriguing than the actually film. Don't waste your time you can't get it back!!