Plot: What’s it about?
After his mom dies, a young man with Tourette’s is forced into a mental hospital. Robert Sheehan plays Vincent, he blurts out obscenities uncontrollably, but otherwise seems OK. His father is played by Robert Patrick and the two of them don’t seem to have the best relationship. It’s clear Vincent was closer to his late mother. Upon arriving at the behavioral facility, he meets Marie (Zoe Kravitz) who suffers from an eating disorder. His roommate Alex (Dev Patel) also has issues of his own. He has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and doesn’t take well to being issued a new roommate. Marie and Vincent attempt to run away, but Alex spots them. They kidnap him, and before long, the three of them are on a road trip together. There’s a subplot involving Kyra Sedgwick as the Doctor and Vincent’s father Robert (Patrick) on the chase trying to find them. That’s about as much as you’ll get in terms of plot. The actual road trip takes up the majority of the film.
First and foremost, the film’s three leads should be applauded. They all do fine work, but the film left me unchanged. I appreciate that it shows individuals who are far from perfect, and treats their conditions respectively (while also being somewhat amusing as well), but I cared very little. Neither the characters nor the plot were the least bit interesting to me. By the time reached its rather abrupt conclusion, I was already irritated with the characters. I didn’t want to spend a minute more with them. It doesn’t help that the film follows a rather predictable path; there’s nothing particularly surprising here. Predictable and full of uninteresting characters. Skip it.
Video: How’s it look?
I didn’t care for the film, but the transfer still satisfies. The image is AVC encoded with a 1.85:1 ratio. The print is fine and the colors are all nice and smooth. Background details are nice too. One positive of the film is that it’s at least nice to look at. The trio’s travels include some nice visuals. Fans of the film will be pleased here.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The DTS HD track is pretty much as you’d expect from a film of this sort. It’s neither great nor lousy. It’s perfectly serviceable. Vocals are fine, but this is a more dialogue driven film, so don’t expect a lot of background noise. Still, it presents the film as it should.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Interviews – This includes Cast interviews as well as the Director.
- Deleted Scenes
- Music Video
- Trailer
The Bottom Line
Despite a talented cast, Road Within is a lousy film that’s filled with unlikable characters and few surprises. It’s not worth bothering with. Skip it.
