Road Kill 2010

This kind of place does strange things to people.

Tempers flair and animosity boils over as four friends get lost in the outback, not only dealing with each other's increasing hostility but the knowledge that a big rig driver with a gun is somewhere near. The ultimate villain is the Road Train, a giant monster diesel with two haulers containing something mysterious. This rig, however, runs on a unique kind of fuel and seems to possess anyone who remains near it for too long.



The hood ornament for the Road Train is a cerebus, three headed wolves splitting into three directions..as a particular character "falls under the rig's spell", we see the image of three wolves with glowing eyes of blood red.

Craig(Bob Morley, quite menacing once he's under the truck's power, a charming smile masking evil intent)has slept with his best friend, Marcus'(Xavier Samuel; TWILIGHT:ECLIPSE)current girlfriend, Liz(Georgina Haig)which continues to produce unease between them. Nina(Sophie Lowe)truly loves Craig, but as the group's terrifying situation escalates due to being stuck in the middle of the outback with no food or water, their relationship becomes strained.

It all begins when the diesel truck almost drives them off the road and Craig retaliates at Liz's urging by passing it. The truck drives their jeep off the road until the vehicle flips multiple times breaking Craig's right arm. Weakened, Craig is quite vulnerable and getting worse with no medical attention. Marcus and Liz notice that the diesel has been abandoned and the four confiscate it with devastating results.

ROAD KILL is a weird movie which doesn't necessarily explain how the truck forces Craig(and the psychotic driver before him)to turn on his friends, seemingly under control of an evil force. We see the grisly method which fuels the big rig and how Craig feeds it. We see that Craig preys on Liz's inability to resist him, and Nina becomes the heroine of the film, trying to survive when everyone turns against her. The presence of the big rig is what I consider ROAD KILL's greatest asset, it's an intimidating monster machine.



The bizarre story framework around it never made much sense to me, but I was certainly absorbed in Nina's fight for survival as Craig becomes the truck's Reinfeld, supplying it with what it needs to keep moving down the highway. Craig's goal is simple, provide the truck with nourishment and let no one stand in his way. Nina becomes an obstacle and this puts her life in danger. I guess you could say the truck is a vampire and Craig is it's slave..but willing slave as Craig seems more than happy to find fresh victims for it. The Australian Outback once again is utilized effectively as a backdrop to the developing horror show, desolate and expansive, endless and vast.



Nina and Liz remain at odds throughout, probably because both have a sexual interest in Craig, although the latter acknowledges Marcus as her boyfriend. The behavior of the cast, once the jeep crash occurs and they are propelled into a harrowing ordeal, does add a strange vibe as we see turmoil and angst only worsen their plight..Craig's change over the course of the movie actually the motivator behind the madness which ensues.