Southbound (2015 Film)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Southbound'' is a 2015 American
anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...
horror film directed by
Radio Silence In telecommunications, radio silence or Emissions Control (EMCON) is a status in which all fixed or mobile radio stations in an area are asked to stop transmitting for safety or security reasons. The term "radio station" may include anything ca ...
,
Roxanne Benjamin Roxanne Benjamin is an American film director, writer, and producer. She is best known for directing the horror films '' Body at Brighton Rock'' and '' There's Something Wrong with the Children'' and producing the horror anthology films ''V/H/S'' ...
,
David Bruckner David Bruckner (born c. 1977) is an American film director. With Jacob Gentry and Dan Bush, he co-wrote and co-directed the 2007 horror film '' The Signal''. Bruckner also co-wrote and directed the "Amateur Night" segment of the 2012 horror anth ...
, and
Patrick Horvath Patrick Horvath is an American film producer, writer and director. His films include '' Entrance'', ''The Pact 2 ''The Pact 2'' (also stylized as ''The Pact II'') is a 2014 American horror film that was directed by Dallas Richard Hallam and Pa ...
. Produced by Brad Miska and
Roxanne Benjamin Roxanne Benjamin is an American film director, writer, and producer. She is best known for directing the horror films '' Body at Brighton Rock'' and '' There's Something Wrong with the Children'' and producing the horror anthology films ''V/H/S'' ...
, the film premiered at the 2015
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
on September 16, 2015, and was released theatrically on February 5, 2016, in a
limited release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few theaters across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...
. The film was included on numerous Best Horror Films of 2016 lists including those by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'',
BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
and the
Thrillist Thrillist is an online media website covering food, drink, travel and entertainment. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in New York City, United States. In October 2016, Thrillist merged with internet brands '' The Dodo'', NowThis Ne ...
.


Plot


The Way Out

* Directed by
Radio Silence In telecommunications, radio silence or Emissions Control (EMCON) is a status in which all fixed or mobile radio stations in an area are asked to stop transmitting for safety or security reasons. The term "radio station" may include anything ca ...
* Written by
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (born February 19, 1978) is an American director, writer, actor, and musician. He is a founding member of the punk band Link 80 and co-creator of the filmmaking collectives Chad, Matt & Rob and Radio Silence. He is best know ...
Mitch ( Chad Villella) and Jack (
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (born February 19, 1978) is an American director, writer, actor, and musician. He is a founding member of the punk band Link 80 and co-creator of the filmmaking collectives Chad, Matt & Rob and Radio Silence. He is best know ...
) are on the run from mysterious floating creatures. Filled with remorse, Mitch looks at a photograph of his daughter Katherine as they drive down a nameless highway. Out in the desert, Mitch sees the creatures stalking them but does not tell Jack. In desperation, the pair pulls up to a run-down gas station. Inside, the men witness strange events as the creatures stalk them from afar. As Mitch and Jack attempt to escape, they pull up to the same gas station further down the road. Jack tries to leave as the creatures close in on the pair, and is killed. Mitch, believing that this is the fate he deserves, refuses to leave and instead follows the creatures to a nearby motel. He enters room 6255 and finds himself in a home that he finds familiar. Hearing his daughter's voice, Mitch follows the sounds and finds an apparition of his daughter Katherine, who begs for his help. As he moves closer to his daughter, however, she continues to run away. Mitch is trapped in the hallway of the house, tormented until death by the regret that he was not able to help his daughter.


Siren

* Directed by
Roxanne Benjamin Roxanne Benjamin is an American film director, writer, and producer. She is best known for directing the horror films '' Body at Brighton Rock'' and '' There's Something Wrong with the Children'' and producing the horror anthology films ''V/H/S'' ...
* Written by Roxanne Benjamin & Susan Burke At the same motel are Sadie (
Fabianne Therese Fabianne Therese Gstottenmayr is a Sri-Lankan American actress and director known for starring in several successful independent films including Netflix's '' Teenage Cocktail'' (2016), '' John Dies at the End'' (2012), Anchor Bay's '' The Aggress ...
), Ava (
Hannah Marks Hannah Marks (born April 13, 1993) is an American actress, writer, and director. She played Amanda Brotzman on the television series '' Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency''. Early life Hannah Marks was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of R ...
), and Kim (Nathalie Love), traveling musicians in a band called The White Tights. Leaving the motel, visiting landmarks, stalked by the floating creatures, their van's tire goes flat and they are forced to pull over. Stranded in the middle of the desert, they are picked up by a friendly, eccentric couple ( Susan Burke and Davey Johnson). In the backseat of their car, Sadie sees a bear trap. The band is taken to the couple's house further down the road. Inside, the band is shown to their room; Sadie hears the woman mention their late friend Alex, but neither Ava nor Kim seem to notice. At dinner with the Kensingtons (
Anessa Ramsey Anessa Ramsey is an American actress and film producer. Ramsey starred in '' The Signal'' (2007), ''YellowBrickRoad'' (2010), and ''Rites of Spring'' (2011). Career Heather Wixson of Dread Central called her "one of the finest actresses work ...
and
Dana Gould Dana Gould (born August 24, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer and voice artist who has been featured on HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central. He voiced Hi Larious in the TV series ''Father of the Pride'' (2004–2005) and the tit ...
), who live nearby with twin sons, they are served a meal of burnt
roast beef Roast beef is a dish of beef that is roasted, generally served as the main dish of a meal. In the Anglosphere, roast beef is one of the meats often served at Sunday lunch or dinner. Yorkshire pudding is a standard side dish. Sliced roast beef ...
; Sadie, a
vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism m ...
, politely declines. After dinner, Kim begins to blame Sadie for Alex's death, whereupon both Ava and Kim suddenly begin vomiting a black substance. Sadie gets help and the people in the house give Ava and Kim a white liquid medicine to drink. Sadie confronts her friends for their strange behavior and tries to persuade them to leave; they refuse, in a trance, and decide to stay the night at the house. That night, Sadie has a nightmare of Alex being killed in a car accident. Waking up in the middle of the night, Ava and Kim are gone. She finds them outside around a bonfire, participating in a strange cult ritual with the others in the house. Investigating from the bush nearby, Sadie's foot becomes caught in the bear trap seen in the couple's car the day before. Hearing the commotion, Ava and Kim give chase as Sadie escapes the trap and moves into a nearby shed; here, she is accosted by an apparition of Alex. Terrified, Sadie runs out into the road and hails an approaching car for help only to get run over by a car in a cruel twist of
fate Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...
. In the road behind her, one of the floating enigmatic creatures can be seen watching Sadie.


The Accident

* Directed by
David Bruckner David Bruckner (born c. 1977) is an American film director. With Jacob Gentry and Dan Bush, he co-wrote and co-directed the 2007 horror film '' The Signal''. Bruckner also co-wrote and directed the "Amateur Night" segment of the 2012 horror anth ...
* Written by David Bruckner The driver of the car, Lucas (
Mather Zickel Mather Zickel (born ) is an American actor, mainly known for comedy roles, as well as the character Kieran in ''Rachel Getting Married''. A native of New York City, he has worked in both film and television since the late 1990s. He graduated from t ...
), talks to his wife Claire on the phone. Distracted, he does not see Sadie and she is hit by his car. Lucas exits the car and sees Sadie lying on the ground, critically injured, and calls 911; however, he is unable to tell the dispatcher where he is. A certified EMT gets on the line to help. The voices of the dispatcher and the EMT tell Lucas to drive Sadie to a nearby town, where he finds a medical facility. Entering the facility, he finds it completely abandoned; after searching for help, the dispatcher opts to guide Lucas through performing lifesaving surgery; a third voice, that of a doctor, gets on the line. The voices convince Lucas to reach into Sadie's body cavity and manually compress her lungs, which kills her. The voices begin to laugh at Lucas, and he hangs up. He tries to escape the hospital but finds that all doors are locked. Shortly after, his phone rings again; the dispatchers persuade Lucas to talk about the incident. They agree that Lucas did not deserve this, and promptly tell him that he can leave. They mysteriously provide him with access to clean clothes and a new car, so it will be as though nothing happened. Lucas, hesitant to leave, is reassured that he will not need to worry about Sadie's death. He leaves the facility, enters the car, and drives away. As he does, one of the floating creatures can be seen on the edge of the road overseeing the events.


Jailbreak

* Directed by
Patrick Horvath Patrick Horvath is an American film producer, writer and director. His films include '' Entrance'', ''The Pact 2 ''The Pact 2'' (also stylized as ''The Pact II'') is a 2014 American horror film that was directed by Dallas Richard Hallam and Pa ...
* Written by Dallas Hallam & Patrick Horvath Sandy (
Maria Olsen Maria Olsen (born July 22, 1966) is a South African film producer and actress known for her many roles in horror films. These include '' Paranormal Activity 3'', '' The Lords of Salem'', '' Gore Orphanage,'' and '' Starry Eyes''. Non-horror ro ...
), the dispatcher on the phone with Lucas, watches him drive away from a nearby payphone. She hangs up, and walks into a bar named The Trap; across the parking lot, Danny (
David Yow David Yow (born August 2, 1960) is an American musician and actor born in Las Vegas, Nevada and best known as the vocalist for the noise rock bands Scratch Acid and the Jesus Lizard. Yow's debut solo album, '' Tonight You Look Like a Spider'', w ...
) gets out of his car. Inside, the bartender Al (Matt Peters) reprimands Sandy for leaving the door open. An argument ensues between the two and Warren (Tyler Tuione), another patron in the bar. Danny barges in with a shotgun, and demands to know the location of his sister. Warren, revealed to be a demon, cuts a gash into Danny's back; Danny blows off Warren's clawed hand with the shotgun. Danny takes Al hostage and forces him to drive to his sister's location: the back room of an ice cream parlor. There are demons Danny cannot see closing in on him as Al leads him through a secret entrance into a hidden room. Inside the room, he finds his sister Jesse (
Tipper Newton Tipper Newton is an American actress and musician best known for her role as Karen in ''The Mindy Project'' and Sinnomin in ''The Guest Book''. Biography Tipper Newton was born in Overland Park, Kansas and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She graduated ...
) applying a tattoo to a patron's back. Danny tells Jesse that he has come to rescue her; she tells him that she is there by choice, and refuses to leave. Danny kills Al and kidnaps his sister, carrying her to his car. The locals, all demons, chase Danny as he drives quickly away. They drive for some time and then stop when the road peters out into the desert. Jesse begs Danny not to go off the road; Danny, with the locals in pursuit, decides he has no other option. The car shakes violently as the pair drive out into the desert, and eventually Danny stops the car. Jesse reveals that she killed their parents, and that she deserves to live in the town. The demons pull Danny out of the car; Jesse leaves him behind and drives away. She smiles and turns on the radio. As she drives, one of the floating creatures can be seen in the moonlight overseeing Jesse's plight.


The Way In

* Directed by Radio Silence * Written by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin Jem (Hassie Harrison) exits the bathroom at Freez'n Over and sees Jesse walk back to the secret door. Jem then rejoins her parents, Cait and Daryl (
Kate Beahan Kate Beahan (born 12 October 1974) is an Australian film actress. Beahan was born in Perth. She appeared mostly in movies and TV series in Australia. Her best-known American film role was playing Sister Willow Woodward in the 2006 horror remak ...
and Gerald Downey), to finish their food. Jem is going to college and this is their last weekend together before she leaves. As they leave Freez'n Over someone in the parking lot watches them get into their car and drive to their vacation house. They are about to have dinner when three masked men break into the house. Daryl and Cait are caught while Jem hides. Daryl realizes that he knows who the men are and what they want, and begs them to spare his family. One of the men whispers to Cait what Daryl did and she is astonished at her husband's secret. The same man then says "eye for an eye" and kills her in front of her husband. Jem then stabs one of the men in the back with scissors and takes the bat he was holding. Surprisingly, the other two tell her to leave. She runs away and they kill Daryl. As he is dying, the man in the mask holds up the photograph of Katherine that Mitch was looking at in ''The Way Out'' to be the last thing he ever sees. After Daryl is dead, they remove their masks and they are recognizable as Mitch and Jack. As they are leaving, Jem returns and fights back. She injures them badly but when she is about to escape, Mitch kills her. The men feel guilty because they went too far, but it is too late. Outside, the ground opens up as the enigmatic floating creatures from below come through the dead bodies. The men try to escape but the third masked man is dragged down by the tentacles from beneath the Earth. As the ground behind them continues to crumble, Mitch and Jack drive away. They are chased by one of the floating creatures, but Jack accelerates and runs it down. Jack says they are going home as they get back on the highway. Mitch looks at a photograph of his daughter Katherine as they drive away. Out in the desert, Mitch sees the creatures stalking them but does not tell Jack.


Cast


Production

Producers Brad Miska and Radio Silence began working together in 2014 to create the concept as Miska brought on Benjamin, Bruckner, and Horvath to fill out the other director roles. Pre-production began in shortly thereafter and the filmmakers (most of whom had previously worked together on ''
V/H/S ''V/H/S'' is a 2012 American found footage horror anthology film and the first installment in the ''V/H/S'' franchise created by Brad Miska and Bloody Disgusting and produced by Miska and Roxanne Benjamin. It features a series of found foota ...
'') collaborated throughout the process.AFI Fest (2015-4-11) ''The AFI FEST Interview: SOUTHBOUND'' http://blog.afi.com/the-afi-fest-interview-southbound-director-roxanne-benjamin/
Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
took place in various locations throughout the greater Los Angeles area and the Mojave Desert in 2015, including Twentynine Palms and
Amboy Amboy may refer to: Places * Amboy, Córdoba, village in Calamuchita Department, Córdoba province, Argentina United States * Amboy Crater, feature in Mojave National Preserve, California Settled U.S. places * Amboy, California * Amboy, Ge ...
.Collis, Clark (2015-9-15) ''Entertainment Weekly'' https://ew.com/article/2015/09/15/tiff-2015-southbound Roy’s was filmed at Roy's Motel and Café in
Amboy Amboy may refer to: Places * Amboy, Córdoba, village in Calamuchita Department, Córdoba province, Argentina United States * Amboy Crater, feature in Mojave National Preserve, California Settled U.S. places * Amboy, California * Amboy, Ge ...
, California. A festival version of the film premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
on September 16, 2015 and the final cut was released theatrically on February 5, 2016 in a
limited release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few theaters across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...
.


Music

The score was composed and recorded by The Gifted and was created using authentic analog synths. The official soundtrack was released on February 9, 2016 by Headquarters Music. The film features songs by Mickey Western,
Link 80 Link 80 was an American punk rock/ska punk band from San Francisco's East Bay, United States. Band history Link 80 started in the summer 1993 in the East Bay of California. In the beginning, original members (guitarist Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, d ...
, Barbara Paul, The-Front,
Lay Low Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir (born 10 September 1982), better known by her stage name, Lay Low, is an Icelandic musician and singer. Biography Lovísa was born to a Sri Lankan father and an Icelandic mother. She moved to Iceland at a ...
, Patrick Horvath,
Ben Lovett Ben Lovett (born May 3, 1978) is an American singer, film composer, songwriter and producer. Lovett is the founder of record label, Lovers Label. His non-film compositions are released under the names Lovett and Lovers & Friends. Previous wor ...
with Ryan Levine, Nick Africano, the Soft White Sixties and the Atom Age. On February 1, 2017, Mondo released a limited edition vinyl pressing of the score. The one off pressing is on sand colored vinyl with solid black color in color.


Release

The film had its world premiere at the 2015
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
on September 16, 2015. Shortly after, The Orchard acquired distribution rights to the film. The film went onto screen at the
AFI Fest The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fun ...
,
Fantastic Fest Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Alamo Drafthouse, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, and Tim McCanlies, writer of ''The Iron Gi ...
, and the Sitges Film Festival, On February 5, 2016, the film's theatrical run began on in a
limited release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few theaters across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...
and was subsequently released on
video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
on February 9, 2016.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (abbreviated as SPHE) is the home video distribution division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. Background SPHE is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures lib ...
released the DVD on May 17, 2016. It includes numerous special features such as director's commentary, behind the scenes photos and videos, and deleted scenes. The
blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
version of the film was released in the UK by
Studio Canal StudioCanal S.A.S. (formerly known as Le Studio Canal+, Canal Plus, Canal+ Distribution, Canal+ D.A., Canal+ Production, and Canal+ Image and also known as StudioCanal International) is a French film production and distribution company that owns ...
on August 8, 2016, and featured new cover art by Andy Belanger.


Reception

''Southbound'' holds an 80% approval score on review aggregator website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
based on 51 reviews and an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's consensus states: "''Southbound'' doesn't entirely avoid the jarring shifts common to anthology films, but thanks to some thrilling twists and turns, this horror road movie is a surprisingly smooth ride."
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
reports a 58 out of 100 rating based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". ''The New York Times'' Neil Genzlinger gave the film a positive review and wrote "Its five segments do what they're supposed to do—unsettle you—but as a bonus, they also leave you wanting more. These are fragments more than complete stories, and the incompleteness is its own kind of creepiness. The filmmakers aren't after tidy tales, neatly connected and concluded. They know that the human mind finds loose ends unnerving."
Richard Roeper Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959) is an American columnist and film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times''. He co-hosted the television series '' At the Movies'' with Roger Ebert from 2000 to 2008, serving as the late Gene Siskel's success ...
of the ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
'', who wrote that "It's one of the smartest and scariest movies in recent memory" and ''Rolling Stone''s David Ehrlich wrote that the movie was "Like episodes of '' Twilight Zone'' that a baked
Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator/on-screen host, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his anthology television series ' ...
might have written after watching ''
Carnival of Souls ''Carnival of Souls'' is a 1962 American independent horror film produced and directed by Herk Harvey and written by John Clifford from a story by Clifford and Harvey, and starring Candace Hilligoss. Its plot follows Mary Henry, a young wo ...
'', these chapters are eerie to the extreme, and seedy enough to make you feel like you're watching something you were never meant to see. It gets under your skin because it knows there's nothing scarier than realizing that—no matter how far you drive—the evil in your rearview mirror is always closer than it appears." Frank Scheck of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' gave the film a positive review: "The vignettes are cleverly interwoven by having situations or characters bleeding over from one to the next, and despite the multiple helmers and scripters involved the film boasts a strong stylistic consistency. Featuring fine performances by its ensemble...Southbound should well please genre fans nostalgic for the likes of ''
Tales From the Crypt Tales from the Crypt may refer to: * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s ** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...
'' and ''
Creepshow ''Creepshow'' is a 1982 American horror comedy anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King, making this film his screenwriting debut. The film's ensemble cast includes Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver ...
''." Nicolas Rapold of
Film Comment ''Film Comment'' is the official publication of Film at Lincoln Center. It features reviews and analysis of mainstream, art-house, and avant-garde filmmaking from around the world. Founded in 1962 and originally released as a quarterly, ''Film Co ...
wrote, "This anthology of five horror tales is the rare group effort without a dud, as it cruises through variations on the genre with style and confidence."Rapold, Nicolas (2016-1-7) ''Film Comment'' http://www.filmcomment.com/article/southbound-review/ Todd Brown, founder and editor of
Twitch Film Screen Anarchy, previously known as Twitch Film or Twitch, is a Canadian English-language website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown. In addition to films, ...
, described the film as the "'' Twilight Zone'' for the indie horror generation."Brown, Todd (2015-9-17) ''Twitch'' http://twitchfilm.com/2015/09/tiff-2015-review-southbound-delivers-equal-parts-serling-and-splatter.html The film was included on numerous Best Horror Films of 2016 lists including ''Rolling Stone''s "10 Best Horror Movies of 2016",
BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
's "The 19 Best Horror Films Of 2016" and the
Thrillist Thrillist is an online media website covering food, drink, travel and entertainment. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in New York City, United States. In October 2016, Thrillist merged with internet brands '' The Dodo'', NowThis Ne ...
's "Best Horror Movies of 2016: The Year's Scariest Films." In an interview with Jordan Peele that appeared in
Fangoria ''Fangoria'' is an internationally distributed American horror film fan magazine, in publication since 1979. It is published four times a year by Fangoria Publishing, LLC and is edited by Phil Nobile Jr. The magazine was originally released i ...
,
Paul Thomas Anderson Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970), also known by his initials PTA, is an American filmmaker. He made his feature-film debut with ''Hard Eight (film), Hard Eight'' (1996). He found critical and commercial success with ''Boogie Nights'' ( ...
called the film "a hidden gem."Fangoria (Volume 2, Issue 3) ''Fangoria'' https://twitter.com/bradmiska/status/1110741195880308737


Easter eggs & hidden meanings

There are numerous allusions to the film's alternate meanings hidden throughout the segments; most of the popular theories suggest that the main characters in the film are all trapped in
Purgatory Purgatory (, borrowed into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French) is, according to the belief of some Christian denominations (mostly Catholic), an intermediate state after physical death for expiatory purification. The process of purgatory ...
where they are forced to endlessly pay for the sins they committed while living. These allusions and
easter eggs Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian feast of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The oldest tra ...
include the clearly visible bullet wound on Mitch; the blood spatter on the motel wall; bullet holes that mysteriously appear after Mitch becomes trapped in the motel, implying a connection between the room and bullet wound's scar on Mitch; the implication that the ancillary characters have all participated in the situations before; the same dispatch voice heard every time a character calls 911; the inference that Danny has transcended the physical world to find his sister; the use of ''
Carnival of Souls ''Carnival of Souls'' is a 1962 American independent horror film produced and directed by Herk Harvey and written by John Clifford from a story by Clifford and Harvey, and starring Candace Hilligoss. Its plot follows Mary Henry, a young wo ...
'' (the films share similar themes and storylines); the clerk at the truck stop is named "Sutter" which is an allusion to "Sutter Kane" from John Carpenter's ''
In the Mouth of Madness ''In the Mouth of Madness'' is a 1994 American supernatural horror film directed and scored by John Carpenter and written by Michael De Luca. It stars Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jürgen Prochnow, David Warner and Charlton Heston. Neill stars as ...
'', another film with similar themes; mirrored dialogue, scenes and images throughout; the creatures being visible in each story; elements of the production design that include the word "fear" visible in the magazine Sutter is reading; the flyer for ''The White Tights'' in the Jailbreak segment, Jack's "Only God Can Judge Me" tattoo, and the name of the bar that Danny breaks into: "The Trap". Additionally, ''The Way Out'' and ''The Way In'' have numerous connective visual and audible
easter eggs Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian feast of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The oldest tra ...
throughout to establish the narrative and physical connection between stories that create the film's never-ending loop as well as point towards the film's hidden meanings. These include: # The truck from ''The Way Out'' is visible in the "Freez'n Over" parking lot at the beginning of ''The Way In''. # The house is the same in both ''The Way Out'' and ''The Way In'' and many of the same shots are used, including of the decorative lights outside (when Mitch enters in ''The Way Out'' and when the masked man enters in ''The Way In'') and when Jem walks down the same hallway where Mitch gets trapped. # In ''The Way Out'', the creatures stalk Mitch and Jack in exactly the same fashion that Mitch and Jack stalk the family in ''The Way In'', first from afar before closing in and again, similar shots are used in both. # Jack is grabbed by the creature in the bathroom with a T-shirt, which is what he used to kill Cait. # The shaking in Roy's Cafe is the sound made when the ground opens up in ''The Way In'', implying that these are the creatures below the diner. # When Jack is killed by the creature, he dies in much the same way as Cait did when he suffocated her. # The knocks that lure Mitch into the motel room in ''The Way Out'' are the same pattern as the knocks from outside the house in ''The Way In''. # The motel room that Mitch enters is room 6255 in ''The Way Out'', the same as the house's address in ''The Way In''. # The mask that Mitch wears in ''The Way In'' is visible on the table in the last shot of ''The Way Out'', and it is what he was looking at when he first hears his daughter giggle. # The songs "Don't Let the Party End" and "Goodbye, Goodbye" are used in both though different parts of the songs are played. # The DJ's voice-over (
Larry Fessenden Laurence T. Fessenden (born March 23, 1963) is an American actor, producer, writer, director, film editor, and cinematographer. He is the founder of the New York based independent production outfit Glass Eye Pix. His writer/director credits inclu ...
) is in both segments however the ending version has slightly different dialogue implying that the loop is not the same every time and that the characters have the option of making better choices with the possibility that they may be allowed to escape should they cease to make the same wrong choices time and time again.


See also

*
List of films featuring home invasions There is a body of films that feature home invasions. Paula Marantz Cohen says, "Such films reflect an increased fear of the erosion of distinctions between private and public space... These films also reflect a sense that the outside world is mo ...


References


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Southbound (2015 Film) 2015 films 2015 horror films Films directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett Films with screenplays by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett 2010s science fiction horror films 2015 horror thriller films American horror thriller films American independent films American science fiction horror films American science fiction thriller films American supernatural horror films Films directed by David Bruckner Films set in deserts Films shot in California Films shot in Los Angeles Films with screenplays by David Bruckner Home invasions in film American horror anthology films Matricide in fiction Patricide in fiction American road movies 2010s road movies The Orchard (company) films Fiction about purgatory Time loop films Demons in film 2010s English-language films Films directed by Roxanne Benjamin 2010s American films