Southbound

Southbound

Directed by Radio Silence, Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner, Patrick Horvath 

"Southbound" is an omnibus film - meaning it's a collection of different stories that seem unconnected, but are all actually different volumes of the same story.  The film centers around five tales of characters stuck in a purgatory-state, chased after by odd flying demonic creatures, and centers around the themes of revenge, retribution, and doing the right thing.  Overall, the film is extremely unnerving, the creatures are actually frightening, and there's certain scenes that are almost too extreme to watch.  That's not to say the segments themselves are great - as usual with omnibus films, there's some that pop and some that drop.  I will be reviewing each segment on its own merits, grading them individually before giving a final grade for the film as a whole.

The Way Out
Two men, seemingly escaping a murder, are chased by aforementioned flying demons.  They stop at a diner to clean up, and realize that they've been there before again...and again...and again.  A nice way to open this film, a great, mysterious introduction to the demon creatures, and establishes a sense of dread.  A-

Siren
A band of girls are traveling to a gig when their van breaks down, and they're picked up by a seemingly nice couple, but there's more to them than meets the eye.  It's one of those segments where you can tell where they're going, but it's still a fascinating tale.  A-

The Accident
A man accidentally hits a girl on the road while talking to his wife on the phone.  He calls 911 and a mysterious 911 operator, dispatcher and surgeon assist the man in taking the victim to a hospital in town, only to discover that the hospital is mysteriously vacant, along with the entire town.  The best segment of the bunch, there's an ominous sense of dread, despair and a downright sickening sequence between the driver and the victim that even had me cringing in my seat.  A+

Jailbreak
A man goes in search of his missing sister, and finds her in a mysterious tattoo parlor in a town filled with demons, and it doesn't seem like she wants to leave.  Another decent segment with great acting and an unnerving atmosphere.  A.

The Way In
Parents are celebrating with their teenage daughter before she goes off to college, and their hotel is attacked by three masked intruders who have a connection with the father.  This ending ties the film to the beginning with a creepy "The Strangers" vibe and is extremely creepy because its the most realistic out of all the segments.  A.

The Summary:
Omnibus films are either extremely effective or needlessly pointless.  With "Southbound," it's the former rather than the latter, delivering an unnerving tale into hell with great performances, unsettling settings and a prolific mystery mixed throughout.

The Score: A