Stronger than not, but far too heavy-handed

By no means are all her pictures of equal overall quality, yet I've seen enough of Najarra Townsend to think very highly of her as an actor. I've a soft goal of seeing all her movies, if I can, and it was her attachment to 'The darkness of the road' that drew me in. In contrast, noting that production and distribution company Uncork'd Entertainment was involved in any capacity immediately cast doubts in my mind; even a blind squirrel finds acorns, but I've seen too much utter dreck from Uncork'd (worse than The Asylum!) to have any confidence. Suffice to say that I think I sat to watch this with about as much open-mindedness and objectivity as I could. Ultimately I like 'The darkness of the road,' but it's distinctly flawed, and I can understand how reception is less than stellar.

It doesn't take long for this to start to make an impression as a mixed bag in the truest sense of the word. I appreciate the production design and art direction, and the use of lighting to help build scenes and the mood. Though unremarkable in the grand scheme of things, Luis Ascanio's music also lends a measure of atmosphere. Though the sound design is sometimes slightly lacking, I do like the sound effects. While limited by the material, I think the cast demonstrate capable skill; I admit I'm predisposed to liking Townsend, but it seems to me that she commands the lead role well, and Leah Lauren generally matches her. These elements are contrasted with the immediate use of some tropes, in the character writing especially, and a measure of brusque directness - somewhat in the plot, but certainly in the dialogue and scene writing, too. The blood and gore look great, alongside props and the hair and makeup work; other more active visual effects are less consistent, but fine, if not fun.

I think filmmaker Eduardo Rodriguez demonstrates solid ability as a director; the most notable flaw in this regard is that the movie moves along too quickly for its own good. It would have benefited from a more relaxed pace that would have allowed story beats and character moments to manifest, breathe, and resolve of their own accord. Meanwhile, Rodriguez's writing is good, more so than not, but is surely also the biggest hang-up about 'The darkness of the road.' The narrative concept of the broken or uncertain reality can be a hard one to work with, as it requires a delicate hand of nuance and finesse. And there's the rub: I admire the daring to pursue such a story here, but in execution this title is notably heavy-handed, sometimes bordering on tactless. This bluntness is felt in every aspect of the screenplay - dialogue and scene writing most of all, but definitely in the story at large, too. For lack of subtlety, the complex tangle of the consciously fractured storytelling at times feels sadly senseless, needless, or even fruitless; for lack of subtlety, the ending feels hopelessly ham-handed. For lack of subtlety, the tent pole Big Idea that becomes evident in the last minutes feels like infuriating, wrong-headed moralizing.

There's much about this that I earnestly appreciate. Much more so than not I think this is very well made; the work of all those behind the scenes is swell. Lauren and especially Townsend are pretty great. The film can claim strong plot ideas. It's just regrettable that all this is forced through a grinder, and furthermore served up without the mindful discretion that would have been most appropriate and necessary. I commend all those involved for the effort they put in, and wish only that more fastidious refinement were applied. I think 'The darkness of the road' is worth watching, but it's not something you need to go out of your way for unless you're a fan of someone involved.

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