“Drive Back” a horror film from Dark Sky Films is now available on digital and VOD. It follows a couple returning from their engagement part in a remote cabin in the woods. A miscue on the road as they traveled back home leads them to a mysterious endless road that has trapped them. As they try and escape, they keep fading in and out of consciousness, their memories floating in and out as they struggle to keep going. To make matters worse, there is a killer trying to keep them from leaving alive.

“Drive Back” stars Whit Kunschik and Zack Gold as the couple we are following in the film Olivia and Reid. The film is the directorial debut of Cody Ashford.

Drive Back

THE GOOD

A lot of times, independent films success relies heavily on the performance of their cast as they are not going to have many sets, effects, or most importantly time to film. “Drive Back” focuses on the mental breakdown of Olivia and Reid, in a series of intense and intimate moments that puts the audience right in the scene with them. Both actors do a great job at emoting confusion, anxiety, and fear in a way that shows how much Ashford trusts the audience to follow along.

The film also takes advantage of the Sierras filled with thick forests that can become a dizzying endless maze filled with foliage that cracks and creeks and makes for a terrifying soundtrack as you never know what is around you. Allowing “Drive Back” to keep up the tension and keep whatever is lurking in the woods hidden long enough to keep audiences guessing and engaged.

THE BAD

While I mostly enjoyed the unraveling of Olivia and Reid, I do feel that “Drive Back” could benefit from being about 15 minutes shorter to speed up the pacing a bit. Especially in the opening scenes its take some time from the moment they are in the gas station to the road for the tension to really start to build. Especially for a film that is relying on digital platforms.

Also almost a nit-pick of a complaint, the film serves mostly as a thriller. I feel that a few more jump scares could have elevated the film as it already has the ability to keep audiences engaged during most of the runtime. With what Ashford was able to accomplish in other areas of the film, I think they could have added just a couple more frights to spice things up.

OVERALL THOUGHTS ON ‘DRIVE BACK’

“Drive Back” really surprised me as it was a low-budget independent film completely shot in the Central Valley and Sierras. But with a solid script, two talented actors, and great editing, they were able to create a great horror movie. It’s really a testament of what a production team can accomplish with the right amount of passion. I am excited to see what films Cody Ashford makes next.

ALSO SEE: DRIVE BACK: CODY ASHFORD ON CREATING HIS HORROR FILM | THS INTERVIEW