PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Getaway, the new thriller by Lane Toran (in his directorial debut), features a clever plot and a fantastic cast, but still somehow fails to rise above the average fare. The film stars Toran, Scout Taylor-Compton (Halloween 2007), Landry Allbright (Feral 2017), Jamil Walker Smith (Stargate Universe 2009), Jaclyn Betham (Dear White People TV series), and Ben Deschaine (Super Shark 2011). Getaway will be available on Digital and DVD April 14, 2020.
Synopsis:
Tamara Miller has planned a weekend lake getaway with her two best friends. When she gets kidnapped by a backwoods cult, eerie and unexplained occurrences arise. Will she make it out alive or become the treasure of these deranged lunatics?
I actually thought the plot for Getaway (and the twist that I won’t give away) was really great. It was handled in a fresh way to start out with: A girl, Tamara (a radiant Jaclyn Betham), alone heads to the lake to meet her two best friends (Taylor-Compton, Allbright) for a girl’s trip. In true ditzy style, she runs out of gas. But have no fear, there’s a trio of sleazy locals to the rescue. These three *ahem* gentlemen will pop up later in the film when they Roofie her drink at the local bar and sweep her away to their lair in the woods. And then, the real story begins.
I guess my real criticism boils down to the lackluster execution of what started out as a promising story line. For a thriller, Getaway wasn’t very, well… thrilling. No nudity, no action, no real blood… you see where I’m going. After the first 20 minutes. this film just wasn’t that much fun.
That’s not to say the acting wasn’t great. The women especially all looked like that they are having fun. The best of the bunch is Jaclyn Betham, whom I hope to see in more films after this.
This is not a film I’d recommend, although I look forward to seeing what this director has to offer in the future.
