Road Games (2015) User Reviews

Good idea, poor execution

[jtindahouse · 6/10 · 31 December 2016]

Admittedly I haven't seen a lot of French films, but those I have seen I've tended to love. In fact both 'Amour' and 'High Tension', despite being very different films, are both in my top 20 of all time. From what I can tell, the French make very patient films which are intended to be retrospectively thought-provoking and also tend to enjoy a good twist. All of which is on display here in 'Road Games'. There is a certainly a lot to consider and all was not as it seemed, however I'm not sure how useful actually analysing it is going to be, because I'm sure all of it made sense.

So if we break the film down into thirds, the first two are very patient and mysterious. We haven't met a lot of characters and we are getting the distinct possibility we aren't going to meet many more along the way either. We have a love story of sorts going on, and we have a mystery element too, because we know (based on the very first shots of the films) that not every character is what they seem. Then something absolutely bizarre, random and inexplicable happens. And I don't just mean at the time, I mean even now, having finished the film, I'm not entirely sure why this event happened or what it was supposed to mean. I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen the film, but for those of you that have I'm pretty sure you will know what I'm talking about.

It's at about this stage that the final third of the film begins and all hell breaks loose. Sadly, what should have been the strongest part of the movie, the part everything had been building up to, is the part that lets it all down. The concept is actually a novel one, I just don't think they did it quite right. A twist in a movie should almost physically hit you. You should feel it in a way. Here, I felt almost nothing. A quick, "Oh yeah, that's kind of cool" and that's it. Then the final scene, which had the potential for great dialogue and to leave the audience on a real high, wondering what will become of these people, is completely drowned out by the background music. You need subtitles for the English words in that scene because it is just inaudible. An incredibly disappointing way to finish the film.

I think a stronger, more experienced film maker could have done a lot with this idea. Even as it is it's quite an enjoyable film at times. Sadly though, I can't see too many people being blown away by this one. A decent effort that comes up just short of the mark.

Off beat semi thriller that has a few surprises.

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 5/10 · 24 December 2016]

Jack is hitch hiking home to England in 'rural France' – more on that later. Along the way he encounters Veronique and they decide to hitch together. This is against the backdrop of a serial killer who – you guessed it – hunts hitch hikers – mwahh etc

Then they encounter a strange older couple who have an old Rover 2000 but live in a fantastic château and their paths having crossed will have ramifications. That is when things get interesting.

Now to say any more would be too much of a reveal. That said there is not a lot of substance to this film. The actors are all very good and manage to illicit empathy and conjure up a sense of foreboding as and when is necessary. The music is right too and I liked the locations – actually believing it was France, but some of the shots were done in Kent.

This film has its fans and its detractors and its fans but despite the tension and the pacing it still felt a little on the slow side. I did however 'enjoy' it for the most part but appreciate why some have labelled it a 'B Movie', than again some films in that genre are excellent.

Slow Games (2015)

[Seth_Rogue_One · 5/10 · 20 August 2016]

A very slow thriller-horror (which to be fair is sort of the norm these days for the genre).

But that said it's not terrible; it's really nicely shot with rich colors of the French countryside, the acting is good enough to keep the interest going and the ending is pretty good.

I find it funny how some reviewers complain that too many parts are in French, like really?

Complaining about it being too many French-speaking parts in a movie set in France is like complaining about the water being too wet.

But I guess they either don't know how to read or how to put on the subtitles, which says more about them than it does this movie.

Anyway like I was saying, a movie with a bunch of positives but that still falls just a bit short with some unfulfilled potential; the script could have done with some improvement.

That said I wouldn't recommend anyone against watching it, unless they are looking for a fast-paced thriller I guess which this is not.

Familiar, but watchable

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 13 April 2019]

ROAD GAMES is a typical kind of horror film, made in France and with something of an AND SOON THE DARKNESS vibe. The story is simplicity in itself, about a couple of hitchhikers who encounter some bizarre characters on a road haunted by a serial killer. It's full of foreboding and psychological touches, preferring not to reveal too much until the extended climax, in which things hot up considerably. One element of interest is the presence of '80s scream queen Barbara Crampton, enjoying something of a career resurgence as of late.

Weird ride down, but very effective.

[subxerogravity · 7/10 · 9 March 2016]

I did not see this one coming.

I really loved the music, gave it an old school giallo feel to the movie. Not that all the yellow in the cinematography didn't do the trick.

Road Games does expect us to swallow some stuff that does not go down too well, but overall it was a great slasher-styled movie experience, that never bores.

The characters are interesting enough to keep your interest to the very last minute, and I mean the very last.

The suspense of what's going on is great. Lots of twist and turns to keep you on your toes as you try to figure out what's going on.

The plot twist was a little lackluster, but it goes with the whole environment.

Well done!!

One for backpackers, I guess?

[thesmoog · 5/10 · 6 June 2020]

Let me start off by saying that I kind of enjoyed this movie. However . . .

It's a total mess. A mountain of things happen that you, as the viewer, are supposed to take in and remember later as events unfold.

Scary mansion, older folk and mannequins are all in abundance. What isn't, is any sense of a linear plot after the first 40 minutes.

Watch it if you're drunk, speak French, or enjoy worrying about the dialogue flipping between English and subtitled French.

Surprise! It's a thriller

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 17 August 2016]

Welcome to the Road Games. Something no one will be saying in this movie and it wouldn't be appropriate. It is a road movie though and it does a really good job in taking turns, if you know what I mean. You have good actors in this and they really elevate the movie and the characters they are putting out there.

You know something is not right, but what could it be? Even if you figure most of it out, before it is revealed, the joy is in the ride (no pun intended). Beautifully shot and nicely edited, the tension rises and is even more crushing if you haven't read anything about this. It also has no relation to an 80s movies with the same title. I even think in France they had another title for this overall. Whatever the case: This is a fine example of a good road thriller

21st Century Hitchcock?.......Not Even Close!

[albereinstein · 4/10 · 5 March 2016]

Before watching this film, I came on here and read the two reviews about how good this movie was, one user even comparing it to the style of Hitchcock. So giving them the benefit of the doubt, I downloaded it, and after we came in from church, me and my wife thought we were gonna watch a really good Friday night suspense thriller, based off what I read from the other two user's comments, and were very disappointed. First off, there is no subtitle to understand the french parts of the film, so a lot of the dialogue is already lost in translation, which most the plot is spoken in. Second the story was just mediocre. Not providing any spoilers because, I just wanna make the point that, this movie is no where near the style or story of Hitchcock. As a matter of fact, after watching this 21st century silly teen like flick, I downloaded and watched Dial M For Murder, a true Hitchcock, classic, to make up to my wife, and enjoy our movie time together. Is this film watchable? I guess, for someone who likes this kinda immaturity. But comparing it to Hitchcock.....this one is not even close.

Slow at times but we'll acted and unique story

[bhester0806 · 6/10 · 7 October 2021]

This is a weird film but it's worth the hour and half to watch it.

B-movie at best

[christooshop · 3/10 · 3 April 2016]

What the heck was Andrew Simpson thinking when he accepted to play in this B-movie ? Same time, thank god he's in, otherwise these Road games would have been totally unwatchable ! The story itself is interesting, but both directing and acting are terrible and make no sense at all. And there is a huge problem with Josephine de la Baume : You can't hear anything she says, she whispers all along, so French ! Don't waste your time even if non precious with this B-movie ! Hitch must be turning in his grave. I agree with Toecutter0 : the score will settle there after a few weeks, perhaps a month after other, older viewers log in and cast their votes, scoring this title more fairly across the entire age spectrum. Watch those scores!

A pleasant surprise

[jennypenny1969 · 9/10 · 16 September 2015]

This was my favourite film at FrightFest during the packed weekend of genre fans gathering for the exciting premieres.

I'll admit I went into Road Games not expecting much. But that's only because I knew nothing about it, and it had been totally off my radar. But that only made it all the better for it. My intrigue was from that it seemed to have an interesting cast - Frederic Pierrot and Barbara Crampton in the same movie! I'll give it a go, I thought. And I think going in not knowing anything (or as little as possible) is a bonus.

I was totally taken by surprise, and a very pleasant surprise at that. Road Games is so much fun with twists and turns aplenty; whether or not you see any of the turns coming is clearly not meant to detract from the enjoyment of the film. The multi-layered characters and plot beats are fascinating to the point I can't wait to get the chance to watch it again.

And the film has a very high standard of acting - not one beat to fault in the performances. They are just excellent. Director Abner Pastoll clearly excels working with actors. Not to forget the score was a pulsing delight, and almost played a character in its own right.

Road Games is an assured, surprising and quality debut. Not without its (very minor) faults, I can't wait to see what Pastoll does next. Now that he's on my radar, the expectations are up pretty high...

very close to a 10 but until I get a chance to see it again I'll stick to my 9/10

Recommended viewing

OK Horror Thriller

[Pairic · 6/10 · 16 May 2019]

Road Games: About a couple of hitchhikers who encounter an odd couple in France. BTW there's a serial killer on the loose, preying on hitchhikers, leaving their butchered remains to be found. There's also a crazy taxidermist in the area. Some real tension and a few shocks. Worth watching. 6/10. On Horror Channel.

Nice try but not very convincing

[jordensplinter · 3/10 · 7 August 2016]

Though the mix of characters (hitchhiker, serial killer, young love, deranged couple) could make for an interesting thriller, Road Games didn't convince me for a minute. The acting is mediocre, some of the decisions the main characters make are completely unrealistic, the mix of English and French language doesn't work for me, and the role of one of the main secondary characters remains unexplained. This could all be forgiven if at least there was a good twist in the end, but unfortunately there wasn't - I saw the twist coming about halfway through the movie. And when the twist finally comes and the viewer gets the whole picture, some parts of the movie seem even more unrealistic. All in all a waste of time, I'm sorry to say.

Roadkill

[danielharden · 4/10 · 29 August 2016]

Film's like 1986's The Hitcher, created such paranoia that would more or less put an end to anyone ever picking up a hitchhiker. Jack, the protagonist of this picture, must be completely oblivious of this paranoia as well as frankly everything that goes on in this film. Road Games follows clueless old Jack as he attempts to hitchhike back to England from the south of France without being able to speak or understand the Frenach language. This complete fish-out-of-water soon meets with a girl, Veronique and the two continue to hopelessly hitchhike towards England... That is until an overly friendly Frenchman offers the two shelter for several days at his home along with his ominous as f*ck American wife. Oh and there is also the threat of a Hitchhiker killer on the loose that may be relevant I'm not quite sure.

The use of the french language is interesting but also puzzling throughout this film. The majority of the film is spoken in French and this is to create the isolation Jack would experience by not being able to understand the language and also to add mystery as to whether Jack is being told the truth or not... At least this is what Director Abner Pastoll has said, but what I have a problem with is that Gizard and Vernoquie can speak English and know that Jack can't understand them. Yes I know they may speak the truth in french so that Jack can't understand it, but they do this all the time, like there aren't that many secrets to keep from Jack. The extent of French used to communicate with Jack is over done and in many scenes Gizard and/or Veronique speak to Jack one on one making the use of communication basically pointless.

The film feels a little bit style over substance as there are some interesting choices of cinematography and iconography but for the most part very little actually happens. The films synopsis is the opening act of this film and the ending is underwhelming and confusing. Logic takes a little bit of a back seat at times as well so that the style can be dominant, for example; When Jack fires a shotgun long range, when Jack and Veronique prepare for Gizard and Mary to walk in the house only to hide next cut, and also the ring around the hail bale rosie, I especially like how actor Frédéric Pierrot demonstrates the stupidity of this scene in an outtake in the gag reel.

The worst part of this film has to be what it all builds to... The ending. It may not sound it but I enjoyed the visuals and style of this film for the most part, but the film does build to its conclusion which fails completely. I don't really know what happened in the end. I found the ending really quite confusing with the french language use and twists embedded. I will discuss the ending here so SPOILER ALERT. So I understood that Veronique was Gizard and Mary's daughter but I failed to see what relevance this had on the hitchhiker killer story line that I was expecting to see more of. Gizard said that his daughter is now a murderer and won't stop and all that but she only killed one person and it was more of a mercy killing than cold blooded murder. Veronique doesn't even kill her parents which is what I thought happened until the end credit scene which by the way is laughably bad. So I really failed to see what the "big reveal" was because to me everything seemed irrelevant. But hey, I probably just didn't get it.

Overall, Road Games is a hitchhiker thriller with style but lacking in logical or clear understanding for its audience. The film is too successful in its Lost in Translation goal that it lost me as a viewer. Go check out the film as you may or may not understand it better than I did, but for me its time for Road Games to hit the road.

A surprisingly very good experience of which was the version of French translation subtitles. Rightly or wrongly????

[mulcahyj-07545 · 7/10 · 24 April 2019]

Firstly some people seem to have watched different versions of this movie. The one I watched had subtitles for the French translation. I speak a bit of French but by now means am I fluent. If I had watched a version without French translation subtitles I would have understood a fair bit of what was said between characters. Not all. It would have been a very different experience without full subtitled translation. I have thought long and hard as to whether I would have enjoyed it more without subtitles. I can visual in my head how would how different it would have been. Then again in the subtitled version I had to work backwards in my mind DURING watching anyway. I will give no spoilers.

After the first scenes the intentetion of characters was blocked in my head to my prediction of the rest of the plot. What a load of low budget rubbish I thought and I considered turning it off as obviously scripted twists glaring at you. It very, VERY quickly multiplied and made me baffled as to the intention of characters in the script. Who and why characters were acting as they were?Everybody in the movie raised suspicions and possible good nature. Sometimes simultaneously!

I have watched a lot of movies. I also have watched a lot of horror movies. A lot of thriller movies. Sometimes films that were both a horror and thriller. After viewing this I am still unsure which of those categories to place this. Which, for me, is a sign of a very well scripted, directed and acted it was. The film is laced with Macguffins. But I had to think back to the film and in which order they occurred. And whether events that I thought were MacGuffins?

As the film comes to a conclusion there was too much initially to think back whether a characters actions were correct, considering the ending , or not. I will be open and say I dont know whether some events in the movie were brilliantly actually fitting in to the revealed ending or poorly written, direction and acting. I sway towards the thought of it being put together brilliantly.

The ending seemed quite obvious towards the end. A movie DOES have to end! And for me it also still questioned and left no explanation for the actions and intent of MORE than one character one of which was so open from the first scene and gave no explanation so when the film gave an ending it made you think back to questions you first raised in my mind.

In conclusion though I have watched it with French subtitles it would be interesting to watch it again, with my limited French language grasp, without. I may not need too. Because the switch between actors speaking French or English and the character who cannot raised the questions anyway.

I can see why some people disliked this film. A lot say it was too slow. For me it was a rollercoaster. I WILL watch it again. I will let it swish around my brain for a bit and I am quite sure I will see a different film full of questions (answered?) on second viewing. And third viewing.....???

I would recommend anyone watching this. It may intrigue you from first scene. It may not. If so you could try giving it a little longer before hitting the stop button. If it does not pull you in after twenty minutes or so say it is not for you.

Writing this review has been hard as different plot (devices?) events keeping popping in my head.

I enjoyed it immensely even when the ending is revealed because you may as I did think 'HANG ON A MINUTE. QUESTIONS UNANSWERED! OR WERE THEY? I NEED TO THINK BACK! AND WERE SOME EVENTS UNEXPLAINED OR I DID I MISS IT?' And so on.........

Hopefully you will enjoy the experience as much as I did. I will take no blame for anyone reading this and does watch and has their brain baffled as much as it did mine!

Waste of time.

[LaverneandShirleysucks · 1/10 · 12 December 2020]

For one, the characters switch back and forth from speaking French and English. Oddly, one person will be speaking French while the other replies back in English...and this goes on throughout the film. Why?! I don't think many people talk back and forth with each other during conversation using 2 languages lol. It's bizarre and this back and forth in 2 languages detracted a lot from the film. As for the film itself, it slogs for the first 50 minutes before anything of note happens. If you're out of sleeping pills and need to sleep, this film will do. It took all my patience not to shut it off and go watch something else. Then when things finally do pick up, what occurs is unbelievably silly and not remotely realistic. Guy is running for his dear life with loaded shotgun in hand, yet he runs around a big haystack like an idiot instead of blowing away the people chasing him. It's so bizarre and absurd! Then there's the big "twist" that I saw coming but won't mention in case you still want to check out this ridiculous bore of a film. I wasted 90 mins on this nonsense, but at least I didn't pay anything for it but my time.

really good

[glaeinteen · 7/10 · 15 July 2016]

i'm all for non-commercial indie flicks and this one just blew me away. it kept me guessing until the end which is not something i can say about most movies these days.

it starts a bit slow but the creepy rural french shots along with the music might just make you forget about it.

Good editing though it could have been better and i loved the the protagonist and his shady backstory with his best friend and girl. He and Veronique might just be made for each other.

And with that ending i do agree with everyone who says this is a great hitchcock tribute.

Simply couldn't stand constant switching between English and French.

[tompaxy · 1/10 · 6 March 2016]

For god's sake, make up your mind. What was the purpose of this? Nobody needs this kind of "realism" any more to make movie believable. It was auditory equivalent of nauseating beginnings of 3D, but worse. Two sexy women (yes, older one too) just weren't enough compensation for this torture. Sorry. Psychological thrillers make their "sale" on the basis of, well, psychologically thrilling the viewer. Not linguistically. While I can appreciate the fact that this movie is a proof that blood and gore are not unavoidable ingredient of nail biting movie, completely unpredictable mingling between languages barred me from getting into the story, at all.

Keep you door locked.

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 29 March 2018]

Jack (Andrew Simpson) is hitchhiking in France on a road with a known serial killer. He meets Véronique (Joséphine de La Baume) after she is tossed from a car in an argument. They in turn get picked up by Grizard (Frédéric Pierrot) who takes the couple home for dinner and to spend the night. His American wife Mary (Barbara Crampton) is also there.

There is a lot that doesn't happen as we wait for something to happen. The film has a twist, one that is not uncommon to the genre. The feature is in part French and part English. I would recommend watching "House of 1,000 Corpses" instead. Soft 3 stars

Guide: F-word, sex, nudity (Joséphine de La Baume)

"Road Games" is Not Easy to Navigate

[jtncsmistad · 5/10 · 29 May 2018]

The psychological thriller "Road Games" aspires to be atmospheric avant-garde entertainment. Alas, it never reaches such territory. However, any flick that features an American, a Brit and two Frenchies has it's merits. Even if the potpourri of performances and plot points are perplexing as all hell. Nevertheless, "Road Games" is a helluva ride.

If you can just manage to maintain traction.

A ride worth taking... just make sure you're strapped in tight.

[Alf_Ant · 10/10 · 7 March 2016]

Really enjoyable suspense thriller. The whole French/English language barrier is what is so unique and sets it apart from other movies. It ups the tension and is my favourite aspect, how it uses the language barrier to its advantage. Just as Jack may (or may not!) be misinterpreting events and meaning, we too are kept unsure about what we think is actually happening.

It's interesting how the language is used in this way, as part of moving the plot forward. It's intriguing and pulls you into the story, leaving you trying to untangle the madness. I'm not sure I've quite seen that in a movie before, not done in a thriller at least.

There are a few weak points plot-wise but the film works as a whole and is definitely worth a look if you're into something fun and a little different.

Can you speak French? If not, consider yourself forewarned.

[gand7 · 4/10 · 11 August 2016]

What to say about this movie? Hmmm... I want to review it, but I can't even do that properly. It had an air of intrigue about it to begin with and I found myself enjoying it for about the first third, however, I unfortunately don't speak French. German? Yes. Italian and Indonesian? Just the basics, but no French. When a large portion of the dialogue began to occur in a language that I don't speak, I found myself flicking through the options of my player trying to discern whether I'd accidentally turned off the subtitles or had myself a defective copy. Only now and after watching the movie in full, I find that there were deliberately no subtitles and that this was somehow supposed to increase the tension and atmosphere. In my case, that did not work. Not at all. In fact, I spent most of the rest of the movie wondering if I was missing much of the plot and should turn it off or continue to the end and hope that the dialogue returns to mostly English at some point. Either way, I was completely disengaged from the film and that is a very bad thing. Normally I'd not give it a second thought, as I have seen many movies with dialogue in foreign languages that do not contain subtitles, but the difference here is the SHEER AMOUNT of movie that is spoken in French that made me zone out and spend more time focused on trying to fix my subtitles than actually watching the film because I thought that surely something was wrong. In retrospect, I would have done well to have researched it first, so perhaps the onus is on myself. Sad face.

I'm giving it a 4 out of 10 because I enjoyed it for what I was able to comprehend. I liked the story, I loved the scenery and the acting... er... well, I can't even accurately comment on that because I don't even know how to rate the acting and dialogue of somebody I can't understand. The English-speaking parts seemed above par for a horror/thriller, I guess.

So I'm warning you in advance, either learn how to speak French or have a friend there to translate the dialogue for you, otherwise, you'll simply drift off wondering what in heck is going on.

EDIT - Another user has since contacted me to say that there were, in fact, subtitles. I'm leaving this review up, however, as that does not appear to be the case with all copies. The DVD I watched had only French subtitles, not English, and said user did not specify either way which language subtitles he was referring to. I suppose checking in advance would be the prudent thing to do.

Suprise ending. Really ?

[daviddunn-90653 · 4/10 · 24 September 2020]

Decent enough entertainment if you have nothing better to do. The constant switching from French to English back to French became extremely irritating. The "suprise ending" that many reviewers raved about, for me, was an anti-climax. I had figured this out half way through the movie.......

Not a movie I would watch again.

Rubbish

[shafqatullahkhan · 1/10 · 2 June 2019]

Waste of time Low budget film,Dont deserve to be watched

No joy ride

[frukuk · 1/10 · 19 May 2019]

The lack of suspense was probably this film's greatest failing.