‘One bad trip. Straight to Hell.’
Expressway to Your Skull is a 2014 American horror film written and directed by Michael Okum, making his feature debut. The film’s title is taken from the Sonic Youth song of the same name.
Main cast:
Paul S. Tracey, Lindsay Atwood, Mark Aaron, Clint Riffo, Katie Royer, Karen Teliha and Don Yanan.
Plot:
Ed and Amy, are a thrill-seeking couple in their twenties. After ripping off a drug-dealer “friend” for some serious cash Ed persuades Amy to steal away from the city to the backwoods for a camping trip to cut loose and “expand their minds”.
With a stash of drugs, Ed and Amy hit the road… but as they arrive in the woods their idyllic three-day trip slowly starts to turn into a nightmare: they encounter a so-called “hunter” named Charlie, a psychotic survivalist with a diabolical, mind-expanding scheme of his own…
Reviews:
“Like Wes Craven, Okum scrapes off the skin of civility on his characters to note the primal reflexes lurking under our socialised behaviours, and he takes on a theme other survivalist thriller makers tend to graze with less consideration – reducing the drama to a macho pissing contest where Ed has to essentially face Charlie on the level of caveman fighting for mating rights. Expressway to Your Skull, for all its rough edges, is a genuinely interesting and persuasive ground zero for a movie talent proving himself.” This Island Rod
“The performances here are top notch as well as I would imagine all of the cast, especially the creepy Mark Aaron as Charlie, will go on to do bigger and better things. Okum even is able to make bit parts like the hitchhiker (Katie Royer) stand out. This is a fun little flick. More style than substance and what substance is there has been done many times before. But good looking and well-performed nevertheless.” Ain’t It Cool News
“You really get a good cornucopia of genres here, ones that will make you feel a wide arrange of emotions as you watch the young couple go through Hell. Suspense, Thrill, Horror, Romance… Expressway to Your Skull has it all. I also can’t fail to mention that it has a higher bloody count than other titles in its category. Viva la gore!” Horror Society
“This isn’t a standard horror movie, at least not by today’s standards. Expressway’s subject matter, film style, musical composition, and overall vibe would fit much better in the 1970s; in a smoky video store next to Wes Craven’s Last House on the Left or Michael Winner’s The Sentinel. If you’re into that type of thing, then this one’s for you. If not – I say check it out for the final act alone.” Modern Horrors
Release:
In the USA, the film was released on DVD and VOD by Brain Damage Films in 2015.
Trailer:
Full film free to watch online:
