Scenic Route

R

Released Aug 23, 2013

1 hr. 25 min.

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

65%

20 Reviews

Tomatometer

50%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Mitchell (Josh Duhamel) and Carter (Dan Fogler), life-long friends, become stranded in the desert while on a road trip. They argue about life decisions until a physical confrontation leads to a very real struggle for life or death.

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Susan W

I loved this movie even though it haunted me for days...it still does. The twisty ending did me in.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/01/24

Full Review

Daniel D

scenic route is my favorite horror/thriller film ever, it's engaging, it's depressing, it's a perfect example of ‘less is more' and yet I don't know anyone else who's watched it- give it a chance and especially so if you're a fan of existentialism Cant believe it's so underrated

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I am not a fan of Josh Duhamel, so I went into this film preparing to be disappointed in everything. I was wrong. Scenic Route is a great film held together by both Duhamel and Dan Fogler, and gives you both feelings of hope and despair the moment a few minutes into the film when the car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. The tension between the two builds, which can also be said for the film as it's a long downward spiral until about the very end. Just watch this film and see what happens.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Extreme circumstances that never drive their characters to the absolute extreme. While it's probably for the best and more believable as it is, it's not the most entertaining thing to watch but the end is kinda good.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

ronald h

Josh Duhamel and Dan Fogler both turn in good performances in this "buddy trip gone bad" story. Mitchell (Duhamel) and Carter (Fogler) are in the middle of Death Valley in Carter's ratty old pickup truck when they have a breakdown. The reason for their trip is unclear. It seems to mostly be about Mitchell wanting a temporary escape from his tedious life of work, marriage, and child raising. Carter is a slacker, an unemployed writer. The two are obviously old friends. They talk a lot about life choices, jabbing and insulting other as old friends do. When the breakdown happens, things get strange. First of all, it appears that Carter deliberately sabotaged the truck. Why? A couple of cars pass by, but for reasons left unsaid here, the two don't get help. And there's no cell signal at their location. With the two having no water and no food, the middle section of the film is typical survivalist fare. But the final act picks up momentum rapidly and leads to an ambiguous ending—an appropriate one. I can't consider this to be a great movie, but it does have its merits. Both actors throw themselves into their parts. These guys definitely earned their paychecks. The cinematography of the endless, bleak desert is moody and effective. And the ending, while not giving us any closure, is pretty clever. Worth a watch.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This buddy flick gone bad is a treat - with terrific performances from Fogler and Duhamel.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/06/20

Full Review

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Kevin Goetz

Director

Michael Goetz

Director

Josh Duhamel

Mitchell

Dan Fogler

Carter

Miracle Laurie

Joanne

Christie Burson

Annie

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Cary Darling

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

It's actually a well-made, well-acted low-budget thriller that is more resonant than expected.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 23, 2013

Full Review

G. Allen Johnson

San Francisco Chronicle

Kyle Killen's script is generally uninspired and fairly predictable ...

Rated: 1/4

Aug 22, 2013

Full Review

Scott Bowles

USA Today

It begins with energy, dulls in the middle stretches but redeems itself with a final destination that makes the trip feel worth it.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 22, 2013

Full Review

Britt Hayes

ScreenCrush

Overall, Scenic Route is a thoughtful piece about friendship and adulthood, though it becomes repetitive in both action, theme, and the occasionally insufferable demeanor of its leads.

Rated: 6/10

Feb 20, 2019

Full Review

Todd Jorgenson

Cinemalogue

Just because moviegoers begin to know these characters intimately doesn't mean they like them, or care whether they perish in the harsh conditions.

Aug 30, 2013

Full Review

Avi Offer

NYC Movie Guru

Refreshingly intelligent and palpably suspenseful. Josh Duhamel and Dan Fogler give the best performance of their career.

Rated: 8.75/10

Aug 23, 2013

Full Review

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Synopsis

Mitchell (Josh Duhamel) and Carter (Dan Fogler), life-long friends, become stranded in the desert while on a road trip. They argue about life decisions until a physical confrontation leads to a very real struggle for life or death.

Director: Kevin Goetz, Michael Goetz
Executive Producer: Keith Redmon, Paul Green
Screenwriter: Kyle Killen
Distributor: Vertical Entertainment
Production Co: Anonymous Content
Rating: R (Some Violence|Language|A Scene of Sexuality)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 23, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 6, 2016

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