Southbound

One of my favourite horror types: The anthology! I love a good anthology! And Southbound, for me, did not disappoint.  'Five interlocking tales of terror follow the fates of a group of weary travellers who confront their worst nightmares - and darkest secrets - over one long night on a desolate stretch of desert highway.'

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Southbound is a bit weird, I will say, I did think it was very good though and very very clever.  I think most anthologies are, and this one was no different, the fact that each different section somehow all fit together - I love it.  It's exciting and always pretty much leads to some really good twists - and you know I love a good twist... I am going to break this down and review each section on their own and then at the end all together, because I enjoyed each section and they are all pretty much little different stories all rolled into one.

The first one, The Way Out, is about two guys, smeared in blood and on a never ending road, before being tracked down by some mysterious creatures in the sky... This was a very good starting point for Southbound, I have to say, it really does start the film off well. The fact that the two guys are covered in blood clearly running from something, and you have no idea what it is, is great.  And being that they also keep trying to escape and then being brought back to where they started - pat on the back. It does take a bit of a weird turn, when the things in the sky come along mainly, and the ending comes out of nowhere, but it all ties together really well. I don't want to say too much as they might count as spoilers - but it starts the film off really well, and ends the little segment super well too.  And without giving anything away, this one ends in a hotel...

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The next segment, Siren, takes place as the main characters leave the same hotel, something that the main characters cannot do in the first part.. Oooooh. Anyway, I also liked this segment, it uses a bit of a twist to an old format, a format that so many horror fans would know, the old stranded in the middle of nowhere, and getting a lift from a supposingly nice couple or family...  There are three main girls in this, and what I liked about this segment, one thing anyway, is that one of them is actually horror film smart.  And by that, I mean she thinks, she doesn't just jump into the car with the strange too nice couple, and she doesn't eat what the strange, too nice couple offer them for tea, especially around the rest of their strange too nice friends who are over for dinner.
I really liked this segment as it did have a nervy, uneasy feel to it, as if you knew something bad was going to have, the whole segment is just weird and creepy - and I loved it.

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Along comes The Accident, and with this one, I definitely will not be saying much about it, because I definitely feel it is a spoiler as to the end of Siren and also to this one. This one also is not a bad segment, and I would say is even better than the other two - it's just dark and gory and creepy. The main guy, Lucas, is in a right pickle, I don't like hospitals to start with, which is where it is set, but he is pretty much trapped in this never ending hospital, running down hallways and trying to find a way out.  One of the most effective parts of this segment, in my eyes, is the phonecall - I don't want to give too much away, as again, I hate to spoiler things, but I feel it is so damn creepy and so well done.  It just feels you with dread, and your heart sinks with it, but also gets excited, as it is genuinely creepy.  And who does not like something that is bloody creepy and a shocker. I would say this is my favourite segment out of them all - it just gives me it all.  A twist and some heart sinking moments - you also don't know what is going to come next. The Accident - you are good, next time, make it a full film please?

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Jailbreak is up next, and was my least favourite out of the lot if I have to be honest. It's not bad, but it's not that memorable I guess. Like I really could not remember much of it at all to be fair - I did have to do a bit of the old googling for it...  Jailbreak has its moments, like its a fairly good story and keeps you watching, but I wouldn't say it's anything special.  I did like the tattoo part, and the end scene is quite tension filled, and entertaining, but that's about it.  I feel like I am putting it down, I'm not, I am just mellow with it really. Like I said above about The Accident, I want that one into a full length film, this one, I would not...

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Ironically, the way out is actually called The Way In, and it is a good one... The last one is about a family who are in a vacation house, and they get attacked, end of story? NOPE. Of course that's not the end, well, it is the end, but that's obviously not the whole story. Again, I don't want to say too much, but this one ends it all off very very well.
Like Siren, it is very similar to other horror films, but with a massive twist, this is a family under attack...things happen, LOTS of things happen, not just the old family attack idea. Dear god, you don't see what happens happening at all... Man, this is hard to talk to, I don't know what is a spoiler or isn't! This was probably my second favourite, torn with Siren, and it ends the film and ties it up in a nice neat bow, taking you right round back to the start. Lovely.

Oh, I am such a knob, I have just realised the first Segment is called The Way Out and the last segment is called The Way In! You smart buggers!!

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Overall, I really really enjoyed this film, I love a good anthology and this one really did not disappoint. Each segment tells a different story but still are all linked together, and with added bonuses, which is fantastic. I shall be watching it again soon, and so should you. You should just watch it anyway... Cost me £2... DO IT.

My friend who I also watched this with had this to say, that it played a lot of mind games with you, and a lot of the time you would be sitting there, scratching your head and say "WTF?!?!". A mind f*ck , basically.