Thirty-One Days O’Horror: The Fearway (2023)

Let’s Ride #8!

A young couple on their way to visit a father on his deathbed find themselves trapped in a time loop where the highway is terrorized by a sinister black muscle car and the locals at the local diner are bizarre in 2023’s The Fearway. The film stars Shannon Dalonzo, Justin Gordon, John Hickman, Jessica Gray, and Simon Phillips. Sharp-eyed viewers may also see Eileen Dietz as “Old Woman.” Dietz is probably best known as the Demon from The Exorcist.

In the film, Dalonzo and Gordon portray Sarah and Michael, a recently engaged couple hoping to visit with Sarah’s father before he passes away and, hopefully, give him the chance to walk Sarah down the aisle. While driving along a deserted stretch of Route 66, the couple appear to run over something. When they stop to see what they hit, they see that there’s nothing on the road. They continue their trip and are soon terrorized by a black car that tailgates them. They manage to swing into a diner and watch as the car flies by them and continues down the highway. They take a break in the diner and encounter a friendly waitress, an elderly couple, a kind busboy, and a lady that seems to be pretty rattled over something. When they leave the diner, the black car appears again. They somehow find themselves back inside the diner despite traveling away from it. This loop continues, with time almost standing still. Eventually the manager of the diner reveals what is really happening to the couple, and they realize that they must make a life-changing decision. Watch The Fearway to find out what happens!

I liked this film. It was obviously filmed on a low budget, but it’s extremely well done. The cinematography is amazing and the special effects are good. My only problem is with the look of the driver of the muscle car. For such a menacing figure, he looks like a wannabe Goth kid with filed down teeth and bad makeup. Had they just left him in a black coat and hat and did away with the makeup, I believe that he would have looked much better.

The film blends a number of religions and mythologies. In particular, it blends Roman Catholicism with Greek mythology. It works very well in the film. The acting is also very good, although a couple of the performers aren’t up to par with their costars. Dalonzo is probably the best actor in the film, but I also really enjoyed the performances of Phillips and Hickman.

I recommend The Fearway. While it isn’t a great film, it’s a pretty good flick that won’t waste your time. If the budget was just a tad bigger, this film probably could have made it to the big screen.

Thanks for checking out my review!