The unfortunate truth of trauma is that no matter how hard we may try, there are times when we can’t ever fully escape its lasting effects. This is especially true with childhood trauma, which tends to shape us in ways that can be both good and bad. Roadkill, written and directed by Warren Fast, explores how traumatic events from someone’s past can forever alter their life, and the lives of those around them.

When a young woman, whom we only ever know as The Driver (Caitlin Carmichael) inexplicably picks up a drifter, known only as The Hitchhiker (Ryan Knudson), the two discover they are traveling to the same rural area, which just so happens to be plagued by recent murders. 

“Inexplicably” is used here because there is no real reason ever given as to why a young woman traveling alone would feel compelled to pick up a stranger, who right off the bat behaves oddly and standoffish. She immediately shows no trepidation or concern, and goes out of her way to push the boundaries of social constructs by speaking to him as though they’re old friends. This becomes even more baffling when, through a series of flashbacks, we discover that The Driver has a troubling and tragic history of childhood abuse. Along the way, it’s also revealed that The Hitchhiker has his own unfortunate history of torment, which in turn gives them both an unspoken understanding into their abnormal behavior and traits.

As they make their way towards their destination, they inadvertently become involved in a game of cat and mouse between local law enforcement, and the wanted criminal responsible for the recent murders, known as The Highway Hunter. It becomes a fight for survival for all involved, as the bodies, and the blood spilled along the road, multiplies in a trail of violence.

Roadkill makes a valiant attempt to take a deep dive into the human psyche, and what we are capable of when all we’ve known is mistreatment, but fails to deliver the depth the filmmakers were intending. While we do get plenty of scenes to give a proper understanding as to what happened in the young lives of both The Driver and The Hitchhiker, there’s ultimately an unfortunate missing link between their history, and making them empathetic characters.

One of the biggest missteps is that it’s never quite clear whether or not The Driver is intended to be a strong heroine we are supposed to root for, or a damaged individual we shouldn’t connect with. Maybe that’s the point of who she is, but we aren’t given anything other than surface level dialogue between her and anyone else in the film to truly discover this.

On the flip side, The Hitchhiker is also an anomaly, as his reserved and quiet demeanor goes against ever truly understanding who he is as a person. Together, the duo, who we spend more on screen time with than anyone else, make for an awkward, disconnected experience for the viewer. The addition of side characters like Danielle Harris’ Allison do add appeal, but we don’t spend enough time with them to make up for the lack of connection we suffer with the main characters. 

The concept and setting are an intriguing package, and with a little more empathetic depth to our main characters, could serve as a compelling, stirring examination of the boundaries that humans are pushed past. We don’t ever truly get there with them, though, and when you take in stiff dialogue and awkward editing, there isn’t much to save this film from being a “pass” for those looking for something that feels like it could be an emotional tale of revenge and redemption.

All that being said, there is still a respect for Roadkill having the gumption to tackle a tough topic such as abuse, and the lingering effects it has on a person and their decisions. It just could have benefitted from more time spent to make us connect with, and care about, the characters we are spending time with.

5 out of 10 Pretentious Broken Records