Summary

Desert Road is a smart, mysterious, and character-driven time loop thriller with surprising twists.
Kristine Froseth delivers an exceptional performance, portraying Clare’s emotions with intensity.
The film’s nonlinear storytelling, seamless execution, and unique ending make it a powerful and creative debut.

Written and directed by Shannon Triplett, in her directorial feature debut, Desert Road is a complex story that is handled with ease. There aren’t too many first-time directors who would be able to tackle such a multilayered story, one involving nonlinear events wrapped in mystery, with such nuance and emotional intensity. There are a lot of things that could have gone wrong, but Triplett directs with confidence, bringing style, intrigue, and character depth to a story that will keep you engaged and holding your breath in suspense for what comes next.

A woman crashes her car and walks down the road for help – only to find no matter which way she walks she ends up back at her crashed car againProsDesert Road is clever and suspensefulKristine Froseth gives a layered emotional performanceThe twists in the film are excellentDesert Road is compelling and never grows dull

Desert Road Breathes New Life Into Classic Time Loop Story
A plethora of time travel movies have been made that it’s become easy to discern what may come next in the plot, and while Desert Road has a couple of those moments, it’s a fresh take on a classic trope that cleverly sews together pieces of the mystery for Clare (Kristine Froseth), who is stranded in the desert after her car crashes into a rock on the side of the road that gives her a flat tire. Clare is creeped out by the gas station attendant (Max Mattern), who can’t seem to stop staring at her.

Desert Road
is precisely what time loop thrillers should be — smart, mysterious, character-driven, and suspenseful.

With the way its premise is set up, most other films would have quickly run out of steam, especially as Clare finds herself going through the repetitive motions of finding help and a way out of her situation. But Triplett’s script never wanes, ramping up the tension or providing new information just when it seems like Clare is going to be stuck at one point for a while. Desert Road has less than a handful of characters for Clare to interact with, but every interaction provides a nugget of information or creates some suspense to propel the story forward.

Triplett smartly employs Clare’s camera at various points throughout the film, allowing the character her resources while also circling back to these moments to give us a different angle that plays into the plot. Once Clare catches on to what’s going on, Desert Road doesn’t lag behind. In fact, the pacing grows more urgent as Clare moves away from time loop victim to time loop expert. This all happens without forgetting to focus on Clare’s personal journey as a down-on-her-luck photographer who’s nearly given up on her dreams after multiple rejections of her work.

Desert Road Is Elevated By Kristine Froseth’s Performance

The Buccaneers star Kristine Froseth shines as Clare. The actress is at the center of the story, and has the burden of carrying the film on her own for the majority of its runtime. Her performance — a mixture of fear, paranoia, resolve, hope, and sadness — is exceptional and truly makes us feel the intensity of Clare’s emotions at every turn. As the character’s confusion and disbelief send her into an emotional tailspin, the feelings Froseth exudes to convey Clare’s distress is palpable.

Froseth is reliably good in a role that requires her to portray a range of things as though she’s experiencing them chronologically. It’s a strong, nuanced performance that is bolstered by a script that allows time for Clare to assess and feel before moving on. Desert Road’s supporting cast — Mattern and Beau Bridges especially — add to the unsettling nature of Clare’s time loop conundrum, and they’re effective in small, but memorable roles that help to bring gravitas to an intense situation.

Desert Road (2024) Director Shannon Triplett Release Date March 10, 2024 Writers Shannon Triplett Cast Ryan Hurst , Frances Fisher , D.B. Woodside , Kristine Froseth , Beau Bridges , Max Mattern , Edwin Garcia II Runtime 90 Minutes

Triplett has a firm grasp of what the film is, and the writer-director offers a couple of twists that make for a disconcerting, emotionally heightened experience. The setting may not change all that much, but Desert Road is precisely what time loop movies should be — smart, mysterious, character-driven, and suspenseful. The hints at the upcoming twists and turns are embedded into the story from the start, but when they’re revealed it’s still a somewhat gasp-worthy surprise that leaves us questioning all that we’ve witnessed up until that moment.

The fact that Desert Road works in its nonlinear timeline so seamlessly only makes the storytelling all the more powerful. By the last third, audiences will be rooting for Clare to sort through all she has discovered, leading to a unique ending that leaves certain things unanswered but gives its central character some closure. Triplett’s first feature is clever, and its story handled with an assured hand. The creativity infused into the film is felt throughout, and its execution and pacing is so well-handled that you’ll want to immediately follow Triplett to see what she can come up with next.

Desert Road
premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival.