Outside of ones that specialize in horror, exploitation films are not exactly the norm for film festivals, since the usually intense sex and violence elements they incorporate have nothing to do with the art-house aesthetics most programmers seem to seek for. Thus, it is a rather pleasant surprise (for diversity's sake) to see such a title in Udine, even more so since it comes from Viva, a Filipino production company that specializes in star-driven, genre films that frequently include intense erotic elements, in another set of terms festivals seem to keep as far away from as possible.
“Reroute” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival
The movie opens with a drone shot of a car moving on a small road in a remote area. Inside, Dan and his wife Trina are having a fight as they are on their way to a town called Morindha. Dan's toxic masculinity fills the screen, even more so when they stop at a canteen by the road and he beats up a man who said the wrong thing at the wrong time. Trina seems to be tired of his attitude, but that does not deter the couple of having sex on the beach in their next stop. A bit later, a policeman in a roadblock asks them to turn around and take another route to their destination. Dan is frustrated, but decides to take a side road he used to ride with his friends when he was young, despite the fact that a road peddler asks him not to, since it is now a private property. The car breaking down seems like a sort of punishment for him not listening to anybody, but the appearance of Gemo, a lone man who offers to take them to his house to call for a mechanic, seems like a much needed moment of good luck for the couple. His unusually subservient wife Lala, however, and his unwillingness to make the call highlight that something is amiss, although the couple, once more, is not deterred from having sex in the car during the night. When the day comes, though, all hell breaks loose.
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As is usual the case in exploitation films, the story functions as just an “excuse” for the sex and violence to be presented, and “Reroute” does not stray away from the norm, in that regard at least. Apart from the script, however, the film is anything but common. For starters, the black-and-white cinematography of Joshua A. Reyles induces it with a more artistic essence, which additionally, fits the almost dystopian aesthetics the movie eventually takes, to perfection. Furthermore, the movie changes completely at the half point, as it starts focusing on the dynamics between Gemo and Trina, with Lala functioning as the catalyst in Stockholm-syndrome fashion for what happens next. On another level, Gemo's past is also presented, providing a background for his character and actions, while the almost blasphemous religious notions retain the horror aesthetics of the movie, as is the case with the frequent screams of the two female protagonists, despite the fact that (melo) drama becomes the main narrative component in this part.
Truth be told, this part, especially when one considers how the first one ends, with the clash of two toxic masculinities ending up in a savage, one-sided “win”, is a bit too slow, and essentially disconnected from the rest, at least on an aesthetics level. The dynamics of the three remaining characters, and particularly the way Lala sees her role changing retains the interest to some point, but at 114 minutes, the lagging of this second act does become annoying after a fashion. What saves it, to a point at least, is John Arcilla's acting as Gemo, who is rather convincing as a tormented man who torments others even more in order to deal with his own issues.
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Despite the issues with the second part, and the fact that the movie would probably work better as a genuine slasher/erotic title, the overall sum of all the components here definitely titls towards the positive side, with the overall atmosphere of eeriness, the sensualism, and the mashup of genres working well for the title as a whole Furthermore, Sid Lucero and Cindy Miranda's charisma (and appearance) as Dan and Trina shines throughout, essentially carrying the movie, along with Arcilla's performance.
“Reroute” is a movie addressed to people who want their exploitation with a pinch of art-house and drama, in a title that is definitely intriguing to take a look at.
