Joy Ride (2001)
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74% of critics liked it
(112 reviews) -
63% of users liked it
(62,209 ratings)
After forays into film noir, thrillers, dramas, and even documentaries, director John Dahl tries the teen horror genre on for size. Paul Walker stars as Lewis Thomas, a college freshman embarking on a cross-country road trip during summer break to pick up his girlfriend Venna (Leelee Sobieski).… More After forays into film noir, thrillers, dramas, and even documentaries, director John Dahl tries the teen horror genre on for size. Paul Walker stars as Lewis Thomas, a college freshman embarking on a cross-country road trip during summer break to pick up his girlfriend Venna (Leelee Sobieski). Along for the ride is Lewis' brother Fuller (Steve Zahn), a practical joker who uses the car's CB radio to play a cruel prank on a lonely trucker known only by the handle Rusty Nail. The victim of Fuller's gag turns out to be a psychotic murderer and soon the brothers are being pursued by the relentless stalker, who gets his revenge in gruesome fashion. Joy Ride, which co-stars Matthew Kimbrough, was produced under the working title "Squelch." ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Directed By
- John Dahl
- Written By
- J.J. Abrams, Clay Tarver
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Action & Adventure
- In Theaters
- Oct 5, 2001 Wide
- Studio
- 20th Century Fox
Critic Reviews
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Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
If you're looking to have your nerves fried and your pulse pounded, this is your ticket to ride.
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Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com
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.
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Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Climb into this rig and you'll be sweating bullets.
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Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter
It's encouraging to see more than passing attention paid to character development.
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Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
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.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Steve Zahn
as Fuller Thomas
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Paul Walker
as Lewis Thomas
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Leelee Sobieski
as Venna
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Jessica Bowman
as Charlotte
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Stuart Stone
as Danny
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Basil Wallace
as Car Salesman
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Brian Leckner
as Officer Kenney
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Ted Levine
as Rusty Nail