Southbound

From contributors to the V/H/S anthology franchise, five gritty tales of terror form an American Gothic "circle of death" in this above average chiller compendium set around a remote stretch of desert highway. Weary travellers confront their worst nightmares and murkiest inner demons as the Tales from the Crypt-type vignettes take in two men on the run from a supernatural creature, an all-girl band seeking refuge with a strange family after their tour van breaks down, a bloody home invasion and a rescue mission going horribly wrong. The best of the stylistically unified bunch, sporting a nice line in atmospheric dread and nasty twists, sees a tired driver ploughing into a hapless victim and then, after taking her to an abandoned emergency room, being guided through surgery procedures by creepy 911 voices. It's a solid shocker throughout, with horror icon Larry Fessenden as our radio DJ guide to the menacing morality lessons.