Joy Ride (2001)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: A well-constructed B-movie thriller, Joy Ride keeps up the necessary level of tension and chills. Critics also liked Zahn's performance as the goofball older brother.
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Cast
as Fuller
as Lewis
as Venna
as Charlotte
as Off. Keeney
as Ronald Ellinghouse
as Sheriff Ritter
as Rusty Nail
as Danny, Lewis's Roommate
as Car Salesman
as Salt Lake City Police Desk Clerk
as Asst. Salt Lake City Police Desk Clerk
as Gas Station Mechanic
as Night Manager
as Officer Akins
as Gas Station Manager
as Ice Truck Man
as Bartender
as Local in Nebraska Bar
as Truck Stop Waitress
as Truck Stop Manager
as Waitress
as Hotwire Consultant
as Man at Door
as Traveling Salesman
as Marine
as Policeman No. 1
as Policeman No. 2
as Policeman No. 3
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Critic Reviews for Joy Ride
All Critics (113) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (83) | Rotten (30) | DVD (12)
If you're looking to have your nerves fried and your pulse pounded, this is your ticket to ride.
Dahl works the audience like the dial of a car radio, testing out all manner of squeals and static and all-out, high-pitched terror.
Climb into this rig and you'll be sweating bullets.
It's encouraging to see more than passing attention paid to character development.
Expertly toys with the fear any carbon-based life-form feels when one of those Peterbilt express trains comes rolling by with a thundercrack of vibration at about 240 mph, gently urging us to move right or die crushed and bleeding.
It attains its modest ambitions with dispatch and wit, and without ever lifting its foot from the pedal.
Audience Reviews for Joy Ride
All college student Lewis wants to do for his summer break is travel cross country to pick up his girlfriend Venna. In tow is his recently paroled practical joke pulling brother Fuller. Their trip goes from banal to scary when a prank of Fuller's using a CB radio on a lonely trucker known as Rusty Nail goes horribly awry in this tense thriller heavily inspired by Spielberg's masterpiece Duel. Admittedly, Fuller's prank is cruel, but when it turns out that Rusty is a psychopath that can't take a joke, the boys find themselves in a real world of trouble. You kinda pity them, and feel for them, even if Fuller does deserve to get some sort of comeuppance. One of the best parts of the film, arguably, is the use of Ted Levine as the voice of Rusty Nail. His delivery and demeanor are creepy and really make your skin crawl, and really help elevate this basic, semi-derivative material into a pretty solid and intense thriller. Paul Walker is decent as Lewis, and Steve Zahn is fine as Fuller. As Venna, we get Leelee Sobieski, who, to me at least, is a bit of a treat, even if she probably looks at this movie as just a paycheck. But as decent as they are, none of them steal the show quite like Levine does, and he's just using his voice, so that says something. The film is a bit out there, and not the most realistic, but if you want a movie that delivers the thrills (as well as some visceral stuff), then yeah, give this a look. It's a lot better than it seems it should be.
Super Reviewer
This movie is both trilling and fun at the same time, mixing laughs, spooky moments, and just plain cheesiness in almost every scene. Paul Walker and Steve Zahn play great brothers together, and their chemistry is very believable. Sure, the premise is simple, and one thing just kind of leads to another, seeing as something had to happen in order for the next to follow. I found myself laughing even in the thrilling moments, but that was okay, because the character were so zany that it was okay to chuckle. Some moments will make you role your eyes, and the script may be predictable for the most part, but J.J. Abrams clearly had his hand in the script, because the few twists really do work. The ending left me disappointed, but it's still a fun movie!
Super Reviewer
Like a bigger, dumber version of Spielberg's "Duel" with excellent production values.
Super Reviewer
Joy Ride Quotes
| Rusty Nail: | Now you know how it feels to be the punchline. |
| Rusty Nail: | You know you should get that fixed. |
| Fuller Thomas: | Get what fixed? |
| Rusty Nail: | Your tail light. |
| Rusty Nail: | I like the rain-keeps everyone inside, washes everything clean. |
| Venna: | How scared am I supposed to be? |
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