This Shakespearian-like social realism-tragedy is very well made. It would be strange to call it an entertaining film but it is engaging and superbly acted. Alex Pettyfer shows great depth as an actor here; and Juliette Lewis is exceptional as well. Her presence on screen leaves one with a lingering feeling of unease and sympathy. Thematically this piece of work is tough and hard to swallow at times (issues if child abuse, repressed anger and sexual urges, as well as poverty) but it is always watchable. Recommended.
68 Reviews
Gloomy and painful drama about a fudged-up family in the Eastern sticks
Wuchakk3 March 2021
After a mother (Juliette Lewis) goes to prison for shooting her husband in a backwater town in the Eastern USA, a young man (Alex Pettyfer) has to forsake college and take care of his three younger sisters, including a teenage hellion (Nicola Peltz). Meanwhile a wife who lives down the lane catches his interest (Jennifer Morrison).
"Back Roads" (2018) is a melancholy psychological family drama with a crime element that could be classified as Southern Gothic. While the events take place in Western Pennsylvania they could occur in any backwater community in the Eastern USA or Canada. The film was shot in St. Francisville, Louisiana, which is a half-hour drive north of Baton Rouge along the Mississippi.
Films that come to mind include "Mud" (2012), "Joe" (2013), "Winter's Bone" (2010), "Undertow" (2004), "Snow Angels" (2007), "Monster's Ball" (2001) and "The Fugitive Kind" (1960). The flick leaves you with a bad taste because it deals with some ugly things and features painful emotions, not to mention it's unrelentingly gloomy. If you think your family growing up was dysfunctional, you ain't seen nothing. But, if you reflect on the movie and the understated clues, everything makes sense and is well-written, based on Tawni O'Dell 1999 novel. Just don't expect a pleasant time.
The film runs 1 hour, 41 minutes.
GRADE: B-/C+
"Back Roads" (2018) is a melancholy psychological family drama with a crime element that could be classified as Southern Gothic. While the events take place in Western Pennsylvania they could occur in any backwater community in the Eastern USA or Canada. The film was shot in St. Francisville, Louisiana, which is a half-hour drive north of Baton Rouge along the Mississippi.
Films that come to mind include "Mud" (2012), "Joe" (2013), "Winter's Bone" (2010), "Undertow" (2004), "Snow Angels" (2007), "Monster's Ball" (2001) and "The Fugitive Kind" (1960). The flick leaves you with a bad taste because it deals with some ugly things and features painful emotions, not to mention it's unrelentingly gloomy. If you think your family growing up was dysfunctional, you ain't seen nothing. But, if you reflect on the movie and the understated clues, everything makes sense and is well-written, based on Tawni O'Dell 1999 novel. Just don't expect a pleasant time.
The film runs 1 hour, 41 minutes.
GRADE: B-/C+
Good drama
deloudelouvain6 January 2019
I see some reviewers thought this movie was too slow but to me it was made at the right pace as this is a story that is slowly evolving, from a dramatic beginning to a disturbing climax. The acting was faultless with all the actors and actresses giving a special touch to their characters. The main character Harley Altmyer is played by Alex Pettyfer and he definitely makes this movie worth watching. A traumatized young adult with huge responsabilities discovers the other gender for the first time and that while coping with the things that are haunting him from the past and present. For a drama it was better than I expected.
A review of reviewers
Bgappl0722 November 2020
They say there is no accounting for taste and I agree with that but sometimes there is a standard for what is acceptable for good if not terrific and when somebody here says that Juliette Lewis cannot act I don't think they've seen enough of her films
Another review hear that caught my attention for the opposite reason was this reviewer said sagely in my opinion that initially it was difficult to understand where this film was going and when it did become apparent the slowness of it was Paramount to bringing about the telling of this particular story
Thriller this is not...Serious Topic for discussion it most definitely is...
omendata25 February 2019
I think it is important to be aware before you go into this film that it is most definitely a drama and not really a thriller. I think most of the sub 5 star reviews have seen the thriller tag and thought that was what they were going to get. This is a serious drama about child abuse and how it can affect everything and everyone around you and is a brave movie if I may say that.
If you are feeling depressed or are expecting something else then I would walk away now and find something else to watch. You definitely have to be in a certain mood to watch this and take it in properly.
The acting from the entire cast was superb especially Alex Pettyfer who carried the movie and directed it but also a scintillating performance from Nicola Peltz and Hala Finley.
The subject is a serious one about child abuse in America and I think how widespread it is around the entire world and gives one pause for thought and to ask questions of the audience which is a good thing. However if you are not in the mood I do not think you will find this an enjoyable experience as it will leave you with a good few dark questions and is not conducive to alleviating your mood if you are in any way feeling down or depressed.
That said its a brave subject to tackle and make a movie about knowing full well that 80% of audiences will not like it and prefer the crash, bang, wallop that society seems to focus on these days which is a shame.
The acting from the entire cast was superb especially Alex Pettyfer who carried the movie and directed it but also a scintillating performance from Nicola Peltz and Hala Finley.
The subject is a serious one about child abuse in America and I think how widespread it is around the entire world and gives one pause for thought and to ask questions of the audience which is a good thing. However if you are not in the mood I do not think you will find this an enjoyable experience as it will leave you with a good few dark questions and is not conducive to alleviating your mood if you are in any way feeling down or depressed.
That said its a brave subject to tackle and make a movie about knowing full well that 80% of audiences will not like it and prefer the crash, bang, wallop that society seems to focus on these days which is a shame.
A very twisted tale of child abuse, illicit passions, murders, and martyrdoms
estherwalker-347107 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
An adaptation of Tawni O'Dell's 2004 novel of the same title, she also being a writer for the film. Not to be confused with the 1981 film with the same title, starring Sally Field and Tommy Lee. Directed by Alex Pettyfer, who also played the main character: 18y.o. Harley Altmyer: oldest child and now guardian for his 3 sisters, after his father was murdered and his mother imprisoned for this murder. His 3 sisters are: 16-17y.o. Amber, 12y.o. Misty, and 6y.o. Jody. The story takes place somewhere in the boonies of western PA............. The film has its problems. For one thing, it takes too long to get going. Most of the interesting revelations and happenings occur in the second half, so that some viewers give up during the first half. But, perhaps, this is unavoidable. Alex is too old(28) for a believable 18y.o., and Nicola Peltz is too old(23) for a believable 16-17y.o.. Harley is clearly too disturbed to be acting as the head of a family. He is profoundly depressed throughout most of the film, apparently with a guilty conscience, as he mainly looks down or deviantly when speaking, and often speaks too quietly or poorly to be understood. He spends a good portion of the film whimpering, often while talking. The conversation, especially by Harley and neighbor Callie(Jennifer Mercer) is frequently unintelligible to me, which makes it difficult to figure out what is going on. ................. I will now give my interpretation of what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present. If you want to see the film, I advise you to skip this part until after you have seen the film, to avoid spoiling the uncertainty............. In the beginning, everyone agrees that the mother shot the father dead, presumably because of physical or sexual abuse of at least some of the children. However, eventually, Harley acquires reason to suspect that Misty actually pulled the trigger. Harley goes to the prison and discusses the murder with his mother. Initially, she denies that Misty was the assassin. But eventually, she blurts out that Misty was trying to kill her, but her husband got in the way at the wrong moment. I'm not convinced whether this is true. Later, when Misty and Harley are alone, Misty blurts out that maybe Harley should have done it, instead, after Harley queries that she killed dad, didn't she.? Misty is implying that their father was abusing both her and Harley. However, she states that the father was not hitting Amber. This contradicts what Harley tells his psychiatrist: that when they were younger, Amber often came into his room at night and got in bed with him, as comfort and protection against abuse from the father. Sometimes, she would fondle his privates. In the present, after Amber returned from a short stay living with her boyfriend, Dylan, when Harley awoke, he found her laying naked beside him. He jumped up in a fit of hysteria and ran into the next room. Amber yelled "I love you". Apparently, Amber had returned from Dylan's because he had hit her, as evidenced by a somewhat bruised eye. Although she often had arguments with Harley, she said she left for Dylan's because Harley was "discusting". I suspect this is a reference to Harley's affair with the married neighbor Callie, rather than any unseen romantic overtures to herself. I don't know how Amber learned of this affair. Callie was a beautiful slim blond in her 30s. Thus, it is no wonder that Harley fell in love with her, and she proved vulnerable. Perhaps she felt neglected by her husband, who never seemed to be around day or night, and perhaps she had a motherly sensual attraction to the lonely Harley. But, one time when Harley showed up in his truck, Callie became hysterical. The gist of what she said was that she was afraid her husband would eventually find out and divorce her. Thus, she wanted to end the affair. Harley blurted out "But, I love you". She left. .............But, later, there is a pivotal strange turn around, I don't understand. Apparently, Harley had arranged to meet Callie in an abandoned shack near the railroad(why there?). But, when Harley got there at the appointed time, he found her dead, of a gunshot wound. We see Amber not far away, with Harley's rifle, sobbing, and blurting out "I didn't know what else to do". Presumably, she was insanely jealous of Callie. I don't understand how Amber could have learned of the meeting place and time?? Nonetheless, Harley went to the police station and confessed to the crime. The police chief asked why he did it. Haley said because Callie refused to divorce her husband and marry him. Not entirely logical, but the chief accepted it..............Harley's traumatized psychiatrist visited him in jail. Crying, she said that she didn't believe he was a killer, that he must be trying to protect the real killer. But, he refused to alter his story, saying that he deserved to be in jail. Perhaps he rationalized his deception in that he was ultimately responsible for the tradjedy by starting the affair and insisting on continuing it after Callie said she wanted it ended.......... In closing, I will say that I found Hala Finley, in playing Jody, cute and interesting.
Too much bad stuff for one family
phd_travel9 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
There is just too much awfulness heaped on these white trash characters. Murder incest abuse you name it this family has had it. What a melodrama. Almost an insult to white trash.
Alex Pettyfer plays an older brother looking after his 3 sisters after his mom goes to prison for shooting his abusive dad. He has to do a lot of crying. Nicola Peltz plays the wild sister.
The ending makes no sense. If the girl is a homicidal maniac she should be sent to an institution instead of her mother and brother covering for her.
Alex Pettyfer plays an older brother looking after his 3 sisters after his mom goes to prison for shooting his abusive dad. He has to do a lot of crying. Nicola Peltz plays the wild sister.
The ending makes no sense. If the girl is a homicidal maniac she should be sent to an institution instead of her mother and brother covering for her.
Can't Turn Away
herrbrugger11 March 2019
Back Roads is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. It's the car accident on the side of the freeway at which you can't help but stare. Bad family situations and dysfunction grow progressively worse as more and more buried facts and emotions are revealed. So sad, it is on the scale of a Greek tragedy, except our hero is not to at all blame, making this a true drama/melodrama. Direction and acting are superb. This is not your typical action/horror/superhero bubble gum fare. This is for intelligent and sensitive adults with patience and appreciation for human suffering. One could argue it is heavy handed, with all the layers upon layers of misfortune and dysfunction, yet that clearly is the intent of the story. Our hero is so admirable and relatable, charged with the responsibility of raising, protecting, and otherwise caring for his three younger sisters, but in many ways, he is still a child himself, and a scarred one at that. Living in this impossibly chaotic and crazy situation on a day to day basis makes a predictable, restrained life in an asylum or penitentiary seem to be a step up. Now I want to read the novel.
The weight of the world on one's shoulders
balthesaur20 June 2022
'Back Roads' is a film about a teenage man, Harley (Alex Pettyfer), who is stuck taking care of his three sisters, including Amber (Nicola Peltz Beckham), a rebellious wild child. When he meets Callie (Jennifer Morrison), a married woman, they develop a relationship that sets their lives on a path of destruction.
Great cinematography and acting! The script is a bit slow and the film does lull a bit in places, but all in all, a decent watch. There are some mental health quandaries to consider, such as self-care and the responsibility to care for others, which makes this film a bit extra endearing.
Worth a watch!
Great cinematography and acting! The script is a bit slow and the film does lull a bit in places, but all in all, a decent watch. There are some mental health quandaries to consider, such as self-care and the responsibility to care for others, which makes this film a bit extra endearing.
Worth a watch!
Hoping for much more
djsaccany20 May 2019
Hard to watch but not for the reasons of MCJenson
dizznmo21 November 2021
So one reviewer called it trash and all the characters trashy losers, I don't get that. Either she cut out early before becoming aware of why these poor abused kids were the way they were or she just a snob who looks down her nose at people who are not as fortunate as her. Director and actor Alex Pettyfor obviously wanted to show people the horror of child abuse and the spiderweb of messed up things created after the trauma. I felt he did an amazing job of showing this. There's not much worse than child abuse except for people who call them trash for the way they handle that trauma. My heart goes out to all of them as well as my prayers! Ty Alex Pettyfor!
stick with this gem
natcalgary22 February 2019
The first half of the movie I couldn't figure oiut if the lead actor was just not fitting the role or what... but in the 2nd half when you realize what the family went through it becomes apparent that his acting along with most of the people in this movie did a magnificient job.
sad
7.2
sad
7.2
Depressing Family Drama
shaneshaneladd15 September 2019
This movie has limited appeal to most people, especially men, as the main character is weak, socially awkward, and seriously mentally ill. No way should this guy be in charge of his 3 sisters; he should be in a mental institution! From the beginning, you can tell that this is going to have a bad, sad ending. I watched it two times and I only got through half of it before giving up on it.
A touching story..
sonekken18 April 2020
One of the best movies I've seen this year
liamscheath12 March 2019
Great movie. Not sure why people are suggesting its not. Heart wrenching, difficult to watch at times. Clearly didn't have the pressures of a big studio dictating the plot.
Give it a go and you won't be disappointed.
Give it a go and you won't be disappointed.
A tense study in repressed emotion
mohit_sinsniwal24 May 2019
I loved this movie in all it's aspects. The acting is very good, especially the main actor, who is superb showing the right emotions (or lack of them) after his life is shaken by traumatic incidents. The plot is very well writen and the timing and pace describs the right predict interest line. The story is always actual as it shows a hard and very hidden reality. And yes, there is some atrocity, cause the reality sometimes (more than we wanted) is also atrocious! I didn't find it slow. But if you think that it is, what's that suppose to mean? Aren't "Paris Texas", "2001 Space Odyssey"; "Fargo"; "There will be blood"; or even "The Godfather" awesome slow paced movies? Also I love Julliet Lewis. So good to watch her again in a movie. Love it.
Bad movie, what a pity for 2 lost hours!
nagoja119 April 2019
The movie is very bad, very boring and does not have any point of quality film. Bad performance, C story production, a shame to spend money to film something so bad. A waste of time and I do not recommend it to anyone!
It had me until the end...
the_nephilim7129 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I thought the acting was phenomenal and the story was interesting yet, heartbreaking. Pettyfer made a great director for this, especially since it was his first time. The biggest problem I had with the movie was the ending. I kept hoping things would work out for Harley and that the police couldn't possibly believe he actually killed his lover. I was sorely disappointed with the ending because Harley ends up in prison and his baby sister is stuck living with their uncle and two psychotic killer sisters. Even if Harley did feel guilty about the incest, he wouldn't have let Jody live with those other two psycho sisters. I don't believe for a moment that he would take the blame for the murder his sister commited after he criticized his mother for doing the same thing. That's just not logical.
The Definition of a Dark Psychological Thriller
bob_james939727 January 2019
I give the movie "Back Roads" a 6 out of 10. I've been anticipating this movie since it was announced in 2013. Based on the novel by Tawni O'dell "Back Roads" originally featured Adrian Lyne("Lolita", "9 1/2 Weeks", "Unfaithful", "Jacobs Ladder") as director. 3 years ago it was decided that Alex Pettyfer would take the reins. Being an Adrian Lyne fan, I was disappointed but not without hope. Much to my chagrin it actually grabbed my attention immediately and held it throughout. This being Pettyfer's film debut as director I was quite impressed. Pettyfer playing "Harley" is tormented and withdrawn but willing to sacrifice everything for his family. The real treat of this film is the absolute POWERHOUSE female line up that includes Morrison, Peltz, Aurelia, Finley, Carryl, and Lewis which ALL lay down an un-forgettable barrage of incredible performances. The sexual energy between Pettyfer and his love interest played by Morrison is thick and undeniable. The score is noir modern which is fitting. The scenery and lighting is carefully crafted. If you like twisted suspense thrillers with a powerful purpose then you'll like this. If you like movies with a meaningful message at the end, then you will love this!
A Cringefest
IdaBarracuda3 February 2019
A close relative of The Room (2003). The plot made very little sense, the dialogue was awkward and nonsensical at times, the reactions the characters portrayed was sometimes so cringey I think I once squeezed out a tear out of will shame. The directing was amateurish, editing almost random and the score a little odd.
To top it all, it's long as the year of famine.
Alex Pettyfier was okay as the anguished, stone-faced man and he is handsome as hell. I don't understand how they managed to lure in Juliette Lewis and Robert Patrick. I hope this gets quietly buried into the oblivion of fundamentally awful movies whilst not ruining anybody's career.
Alex Pettyfier was okay as the anguished, stone-faced man and he is handsome as hell. I don't understand how they managed to lure in Juliette Lewis and Robert Patrick. I hope this gets quietly buried into the oblivion of fundamentally awful movies whilst not ruining anybody's career.
Indie Film is Intense Drama of Family Secrets
lavatch3 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
"Back Roads" has the feel of a docudrama about a tragic history of family dysfunction. Although it was adapted from a novel that was an Oprah's Book Club selection, there is a "true crime" element to this disturbing drama.
The time is the early 1990s, and the setting is in rural Pennsylvania. For the Altmyers, who reside in a small home in dire need of repairs, the more troubling issue is one of family secrets.
After Mrs. Altmyer is imprisoned for the killing of her husband, young Harley Altmyer is tasked with caring for his three siblings. At the outset, this premise was difficult to believe since Harley and his three sisters were in therapy with a kind psychologist who knew the details of their family history. How was it possible that someone with the instability of Harley could have been allowed by the courts to have custody of his siblings under such hardscrabble conditions?
As the drama unfolds, the family dynamic becomes more explosive when the details about the deceased father emerge. The circumstances of his death are called into question with the admission of the youngest child. It may be that Mrs. Altmyer did not kill her husband and should not be incarcerated.
Another traumatic event awaits the tragic Altmyer family when Harley begins an affair with a neighbor. When she is shot in an old mining shack, Harley confesses to the crime. But the police chief who questions Harley has troubling believing his story. The truth about what actually happened at that shack is explosive and unspeakable.
For those viewers who appreciated the nuances of this film in the area of family dysfunction, an interesting real life tragedy that is pertinent is the O.J. Simpson saga. There is a fascinating book by William Dear entitled "O.J. Is Innocent and I Can Prove It," and it deals with exactly the same dynamic raised in this film. That dynamic is the human reality that a parent will stop at nothing in order to protect one's child. The film opens the floor for debate and reflection on that basic human instinct.
The time is the early 1990s, and the setting is in rural Pennsylvania. For the Altmyers, who reside in a small home in dire need of repairs, the more troubling issue is one of family secrets.
After Mrs. Altmyer is imprisoned for the killing of her husband, young Harley Altmyer is tasked with caring for his three siblings. At the outset, this premise was difficult to believe since Harley and his three sisters were in therapy with a kind psychologist who knew the details of their family history. How was it possible that someone with the instability of Harley could have been allowed by the courts to have custody of his siblings under such hardscrabble conditions?
As the drama unfolds, the family dynamic becomes more explosive when the details about the deceased father emerge. The circumstances of his death are called into question with the admission of the youngest child. It may be that Mrs. Altmyer did not kill her husband and should not be incarcerated.
Another traumatic event awaits the tragic Altmyer family when Harley begins an affair with a neighbor. When she is shot in an old mining shack, Harley confesses to the crime. But the police chief who questions Harley has troubling believing his story. The truth about what actually happened at that shack is explosive and unspeakable.
For those viewers who appreciated the nuances of this film in the area of family dysfunction, an interesting real life tragedy that is pertinent is the O.J. Simpson saga. There is a fascinating book by William Dear entitled "O.J. Is Innocent and I Can Prove It," and it deals with exactly the same dynamic raised in this film. That dynamic is the human reality that a parent will stop at nothing in order to protect one's child. The film opens the floor for debate and reflection on that basic human instinct.
Decent flick with director miscasting himself while Juliette Lewis shines.
msghall8 August 2019
Gritty but enjoyable, this tale of a conflicted son has layers of emotion and depth but is hampered by the rather bland portrayal of its lead character by director Alex Pettyfer. He really is a much better director than actor and that is a shame because his role requires nuance and depth that as an actor, he can't provide. However, Juliette Lewis is absolutely stunning in her role, a scene in the jail meeting area should've yielded her an Oscar. Her performance is worth the price of admission alone.
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