As a lifelong Angelino, I’ve spent my fair share of time driving Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), particularly along its most beautiful section, which is featured in director Nic Davis’ documentary, 21 Miles in Malibu. There’s no question that the city of Malibu is picture-perfect and gorgeous, and I enjoy the casual beach-side drive along the route. 21 Miles in Malibu shows how it is one of the deadliest stretches of highway in California.
21 Miles in Malibu was born from the tragic passing of Emily Shane, the daughter of the film’s producer, Michel Shane. Emily was murdered by a suicidal driver, who deliberately struck her while waiting at a crosswalk. Though Emily’s death was intentional, hundreds of others are killed (not to mention the thousands of car and motorcycle accidents) along Malibu’s 21-mile stretch of highway along the Pacific Coast Highway.
If you’ve ever driven, walked, or biked along PCH, you’ll notice instantly that it’s dangerous. Four high-speed lanes with barely a sidewalk for pedestrians or safe bike lanes for cyclists. This section of highway is so accident-prone because it runs through the residential city of Malibu. Along this highway are homes and businesses, with blind driveways merging and exiting the roadway without warning. To make matters worse, Malibu’s beaches are especially stunning and attract thousands of visitors in the summer. As a result, public parking is sparse, and tourist cars line the highway with very little room for oncoming traffic.

“If you’ve ever driven, walked, or biked along [Pacific Coast Highway], you’ll notice instantly that it’s dangerous.”
Let’s face it. 21 Miles in Malibu is a local issues documentary that appeals to anyone familiar with this part of PCH. As such, I am not sure what an East Coast viewer would think of this specific West Coast issue. The film gives names and faces to the countless lives needlessly lost along the highway while presenting the frustration that virtually nothing is being done to try and save future lives.
Davis speaks to more than a handful of residents seeking local and state government help. Because Pacific Coast Highway is a state highway, all repairs and maintenance are done by the slow-moving bureaucracy known as Caltrans. Yet, our grand leaders in Sacramento insist on conducting studies, while the Malibu residents have already paid for these studies. The state also sees the cost of maintenance as prohibitive while running under the mandate of moving traffic through the town as fast as possible.
21 Miles of Malibu is a heartbreaking documentary. Lives are being lost, and the entire community knows the names and faces of the victim. The director contrasts that tragedy with a government body hundreds of miles away conducting studies, mismanaging funds, and being distracted by unnecessary government policies and programs. It’s an effective way of getting everyone on board for faster change and safer measures.
For screening information and action steps, visit the 21 Miles of Malibu official website.