I miss ‘Two Months of Terror’ already. And our ‘Halfway to Halloween’ celebration is still five months away. Thankfully, we get a horror bonus with Friday the 13th! A co-worker mentioned a supposedly terrifying and relatively unheard-of film, so I had to check it out.
“Toad Road” is a complete indie job, written and directed by Jason Banker. It premiered at the 2012 Fantasia Film Festival, and the lore is creepy.
Banker has done little since, but his IMDb bio indicates he works as a cinematographer, which explains the excellent visuals we’ll touch on here. The cast is made up of unknowns, all of which have little to no other credits. The lead of “Toad “Road” is Sara Anne Jones, who sadly died of an accidental drug overdose soon after filming.
‘Toad Road’
We follow a group of slackers. Twenty-somethings who share an apartment and spend their time doing drugs, drinking heavily, and partying. The two main characters are James (James Davidson) and Sara (Sara Anne Jones).
An urban legend explains Toad Road; a trail in a supposedly haunted woods that takes you through the seven gates leading to Hell. And travelers must be high to experience the journey. Sara has become obsessed with the legend, and here we have our story. “Everyone thinks the 7th gate is Hell.” Sara explains. “I think it’s something better. Something real.”
The ‘Blair Witch’ on Acid
“Toad Road” is told in an unusual style. It feels like a blend of found footage, documentary, and traditional piece of fiction. The film’s climax depicts James and Sara venturing into the woods to find Toad Road, and the fingerprints of “The Blair Witch Project” are all over it.
The movie looks and feels like a cheap effort tossed together by a B-level film student. That’s not a knock. The amateurish quality leads to an authentic vibe that will keep the viewer invested. It has a weird feeling that provides the right amount of tension for realistic horror.
I mentioned Jason Banker is masterful with the camera. I was captivated several times by the cinematography alone. A desolate winter street with a car’s headlights in the distance. The setting of a low-cost apartment that houses the friends. And a sweeping daylight shot of a green field and a lone bench. I loved the simplicity.
Unsettling Lore
“Toad Road” took four years to create. Filmed between 2008 and 2012, it captures an era that seemed inconsequential at the time but has grown to possess a bygone fondness. No smart phones. Antiquated internet. And characters I feel like I knew from my own younger life.
The lack of familiarity with the filmmaker and the cast offers “Lake Mungo” vibes at a discount price; “Toad Road” is only 76 minutes long and not nearly as compelling or frightening.
Much of the film depicts the friends partying and doing drugs. These moments are incredibly visceral and for good reason. It has come out in the years since the release that the actors were actually drinking and taking narcotics during these scenes.
It forces an authenticity that artists (musicians, writers, actors etc.) often really on. With the death of Sara Anne Jones just weeks after the premiere of the film, it will leave a bitter taste on your tongue.
Spooky Season Bonus
Chances are you have never even heard of “Toad Road.” I hadn’t a mere 48 hours ago and here I am writing its review.
It’s a good movie if you like an ultra-simple indie style. It relies on an unsettling atmosphere for its terror, but there are a few jump scares that are quite good. If you’re like me, you’ll spend more time thinking about it than it takes to watch. Its good enough for a one-time visit.
