5th Movie “Southbound” Review by The Headless Critic

Southbound – 2016

Production by: Willowbrook Regent Films
Distribution by: The Orchard , Dark Sky Films



On a deserted desert highway heading south, a group of sinners cross paths enroute to their final destination. The path you take at the crossroads can determine the direction your life goes. Or perhaps your fate is already sealed. Just don’t let your demons catch up with you.

Southbound is a crossroads with five directions weaving together across the yellow lines in an interlocking anthology from the creators of the V/H/S series.

“The Way Out”
Mitch (Chad Villella) and Jack (Matt Bettinelli) are on the run. You can’t always fun from your problems though. Especially if they keep floating after you. “This one is for all you lost souls racing down to redemption, and all you sinners running from your past by heading straight into that pit of darkness ahead.” Directed by Radio Silence

“Siren”
A trio of young rocker chicks get stranded on the side of the road. When a family that looks straight out of a 50’s sitcom offers them a help, how were they to know they were hitching a ride with Satanists? Let the mind worshiping begin. Directed by Roxanne Benjamin

“The Accident”
Lucas (Mather Zickel) is on a late night drive and he just didn’t see the girl jump out in front of his car. It’s not his fault and there’s no service on this stretch of highway. When he finally gets through to help, the maniacal minds on the other line seem to be on his side. Lucas takes the girl to the hospital and tries to piece her back together. It’s not his fault the doctors weren’t there. It’s not his fault. Directed by David Bruckner

“Jailbreak”
Jesse (Tipper Newton) is missing and her brother Danny (David Yow) will stop at nothing to find her. Even if that means walking into a town of demons. His relentless plight to save his sister wasn’t requested. She sleeps among the demons because she knows that’s where she belongs. Best to let sleeping demons lie.
Directed by Patrick Horvath

“The Way In”
A vacation getaway turns into a nightmare when two mean break into the family’s home. The daughter Jem (Hassie Harrison) hides as her parents are caught by the intruders. The home invasion turn deadly and the family fights to survive against these outside murderers entering their life.
Directed by Radio Silence.

Southbound is DVD superior quality to that old VHS tape you love so much. For some reason the creators focus on budget CGI as the wrap-around story that laughably takes you out of the film. The Accident, is a more realistic and a satanically creepy tale that makes you question what you would do in a similar situation. I could see this anthology short being in a Tales from the Darkside episode or Creepshow movie.

Unfortunately The Way Out/In got beginning and end credits in a nice connecting story that also gives us the floating creatures wrap-around following us through every tale. As with many anthologies, some stories take a stairway to heaven while others follow a highway to hell. When you come to the devil’s crossroads, “no matter which road you choose, it's all going south.”

3 out of 5 Headless Critics