The Long Road to Hell: 15 Horror Films Featuring Road Trips
Joshua Macmillan
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It is that time of the year when many of us decide to take a road trip. The distance or location doesn’t really matter; what matters is that we go–usually with a few family members or close friends coming along.
With the nicest weather of the year at hand, certain activities are high up on the list of things to do: camping, swimming, various sports, or just kicking back and enjoying a family outing or barbecue. Thinking about all of the fun things that take place during this time got me considering different films within the genre that play up the road trip angle so I decided to compile a list of some of my personal favorite road trip horror films.
15) Cabin Fever (2002)
Starring: Cerina Vincent, Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, James DeBello, and Joey Kern.
Directed By: Eli Roth
Cabin Fever is the story of a group of friends fresh out of college who take a trip into the woods to spend some time together in a rented cabin. Shortly after their arrival things begin to go south after one of the friends accidentally injures a hermit while out shooting squirrels. The accident is kept hidden from the others, and the friends continue to enjoy their outing, even spending time with a strange guy and his dog. The party gets rained out, though, and the stranger returns to his campsite to pack up his stuff. Our core cast takes refuge in their rented cabin, and at this point they have a run-in with the hermit from before who begins to cough up blood, and we learn that he is infected with a highly contagious skin-eating disease. The rest of the film follows the fates of the friends as they are infected one by one.
If you are looking for a fun gross-out film, I would recommend checking this one out.
14) Vacancy (2007)
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson, Frank Whaley, and Ethan Embry.
Directed By: Nimrod Antal
A married couple who are on the verge of divorce are driving back from a family gathering when they take a wrong turn. Unfortunately, their car breaks down, and they have no cellphone reception, leaving them to have to walk back and get a room at a motel they saw across the street from an auto mechanic’s garage that they were previously at. They find the motel to be empty except for the creepy manager, who insists that the screams they hear from the back room are from his television. The couple rent a room, and shortly after they start to realize that all is not what it seems. From hearing banging on doors to finding snuff tapes that were filmed in their very room, the couple come to the frightening realization that they are in for one hell of a night.
I absolutely adore serial killer/slasher films, and this movie is a fun ride. I wouldn’t classify this as a full-on slasher, but it is a great film about serial killers.
13) Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Starring: Jonathan Breck, Justin Long, Gina Phillips, and Eileen Brennan.
Directed By: Victor Salva
A brother and sister are heading home from college, while enjoying the scenic drive they are almost run off of the road by a beat up and rusted out truck. They continue their trip and come across an old abandoned church, they see that the truck that tried to run them off the road is there. They see what looks like a man dumping a body wrapped in sheets down a pipe that is sticking out of the ground. The two are spotted by the man and he tries again to run them off of the road. The two manage to get back to the chapel and discover a grisly scene, turning their road trip home into a terrifying nightmare.
I will say right off the bat that this film has its flaws. However, this is a fun ride from beginning to end and left me craving the sequel.
12) Hostel (2005)
Starring: Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Barbara Nedeljakova, Jana Kaderabkova, and Jan Vlasak.
Directed By: Eli Roth
This film follows two backpackers-Paxton and Josh, on a trip across Europe, befriending an Icelandic man named Oli. The trio decide to check out Amsterdam and while they are there they meet a man named Alexei who convinces them that they should make a trip to Slovakia due to all of the beautiful women. The group checks into a hostel and proceed to go out for the night with a couple of women that they run into at the hostel. After a sexually charged evening, they awake to find Oli gone. That night they are slipped tranquilizers and awaken to a living nightmare of torture.
Hostel is one of, if not THE pioneer of the “Torture Porn” sub-genre. That being said, it is an intense ride that remains engaging and is a staple of modern horror.
11) Wolf Creek (2005)
Starring: John Jarratt, Nathan Phillips, Cassandra Magrath, and Kestie Morassi.
Directed By: Greg McLean
Wolf Creek is set in the Australian outback and we follow a trio of backpackers on vacation going to wild parties and spending their nights on the beach. The friends decide to visit Wolf Creek and explore a huge crater. When they return to their vehicle from the crater they find that their vehicle wont start and that they are stranded. Shortly after sunset the group is approached by a rural man named Mick Taylor who offers to tow them into his camp where he can fix their car. Reluctantly the group agrees and get towed into his camp, starting them on a trip that they may not survive.
Wolf Creek is one of my all time favorite modern horror films. The story has some basis in reality, taking from a few different real life cases in Australia. The villain is extremely charismatic and funny in the blackest of ways, this film is a must for those who wish to see a film that drips with tension.
