Written & Directed By: John Swab

Cinematography: Will Stone

Editor: Andrew Aronson and John David Allen 

Cast: Olivia Luccardi, Eden Brolin, Sam Quartin, Owen Campbell, Virginia Rand, William Baldwin, Guinevere Turner, Brad Carter

A seemingly naive and devout young woman navigates her way into the underground world of truck stop sex workers a.k.a. “lot lizards.”

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This is a film that pulls no punches, especially when it begins. It’s going into the film wasn’t quite sure where it was going to go even though watching it on shutter suspected a horror film but it seems like for the first third of the film. It’s more of a drama.

Even though considering where the film ends up going. It seems a bit unnecessary to be so graphic, but sets up the unpredictable nature and showing it’s Not afraid to go certain places 

That throughout the film, always seems to stay open as it offers a host of many ways it can go. As throughout the film. There seems to be a clash of genres as it starts off matter fact, drama that has a murder mystery in the background when initial killings start to happen. as it also feels kind of like a misdirection at first, but when the killer is revealed, we are shocked, but watch their ways as they try to avoid getting caught, though we do wonder when they will strike again also. Even as the film still stays pretty dramatic with the killings involved as we began to truly care about the characters.

Though slowly, the narrative becomes a true horror thriller. As the film keeps changing its identity I guess sort of like the characters there’s the before and then there’s a after.

as at first, there were so many ways that it could’ve gone and thought it would go, but ultimately it ends up, not going there. It makes its own way, which works for the film. Only wish maybe the killer wasn’t revealed as soon as they were crow that they played up the mystery angle a little bit better and longer.

The film does have an interesting scene of a red herring that is graphic and hard hitting, but also shows you the dangers of the lives. They lead and their line of work and offers a humanity more to the characters and helps to show the depths of one of the relationships between the characters and how messed up it is even when seeking justice in doing the right thing

As the film play so many rules just as the characters do one minute it’s a hangout film the max. It’s a hard hitting docudrama, then a mystery then a slasher then at times even a Grindhouse film that tries to tie in Christmas randomly. Though it occasionally breaks up its own rhythm. It’s trying to show that it’s moving into a new phase. Wish it could have been a bit more seamless And tightly written. So it made more sense. It does go to show that just because one thing is happening, that doesn’t mean other things stop irnchange necessarily with the new situation 

For all of its good graces by the end, it feels a little bit like a b-movie, even though it tries to hit hard with the ending.

The film manages to stay unpredictable in the end doesn’t go where you expect those stays down with an ultimate come uppance.

By the end, the theme seems to be sexual repression and how violent it can make someone.

Grade: C+