Shortcut, Movie Review

"Shortcut is rolling with a look and feel that could have made for one scary ride, but as the story gets off the bus - this amateurish horror goes downhill in a hurry."

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Wheels on the bus go round ‘n round…until it breaks down in an abandoned military fort where a nasty beast known as the Nocturne Wanderer is ready to take a big bite of human flesh. Shortcut is rolling with a look and feel that could have made for one scary ride, but as the story gets off the bus – this amateurish horror goes downhill in a hurry.

As the bountiful bus driver Joseph (Terence Anderson) steers through the picturesque countryside at a very, very slow speed, it’s never quite clear where he is coming from or where he’s trying to get to. Who cares? The route him and the kids are on now is going to be no smooth ride. The unfortunate passengers who are walking stereotypes start with a shy kid named Nolan (Jack Kane) who has a little crush on Bess (Sophie Jane Oliver), she’s the artsy one in the gang. There’s also the brainy Queenie (Molly Dew) and Karl (Zander Emlano), the one who never shuts up. Last but not least, we have the leather jacket wearing bad boy of the bus Reggie (Zak Sutcliffe).

The usual road taken has its fair share of blockades. First, it’s a fallen tree, then a dead animal – a trap set by an escaped convict they call The Tongue Eater (David Keyes) who takes the bus hostage. A decision he will soon regret once everyone’s ride comes to a complete stop in a dark and dreadful tunnel. What happens next will not surprise one single horror fan, but let’s just say it’s up to the teenagers to get to a control room if they want to stay alive. And we can’t forget about the sub-plot including a guy who spent his entire life researching the monster, seeking revenge for it killing his sister decades ago. Obviously, they have no choice but to finish what he started. LMAO.

Far too many embarrassing shortcuts are taken from director Alessio Liguori and writer Daniele Cosci to execute entertaining horror. Originality? Nope. Character development? None. How about a sensible story with actual scares? Not a chance. And after our first real look at the thing that should be the most terrifying part of Shortcut, we’re instantly over it. There’s nothing this movie can do in curtaining what a cheap creature feature this truly is.

Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.

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