'Wrecker' review: It tries desperately to excite you, but fails at every turn

Director: Micheal Bafaro

Cast: Anna Hutchison, Andrea Whitburn, Jennifer Koenig

At one point in Micheal Bafaro’s ‘Wrecker’, Anna Hutchison (Emily) and Andrea Whitburn (Leslie) give a thumbs up to the man driving a heavy vehicle as he makes a gesture allowing them take the left lane to drive faster. Because the driver is prompt in signalling his intention and making room for their car, both Emily and Leslie don't take too long to thank him for his “courtesy”. While this sequence in ‘Wrecker’ lasts for just a few minutes, it manages to put across the film’s core idea – how developing patience and practicing defensive driving can make one a secure and courteous driver. But does that help ‘Wrecker’ leaving an impact? Nah!

The film revolves around Emily who decides to take up a road trip with friend Leslie to neglect willfully her boyfriend's infidelity. And as the two wind through a mountain highway, they find themselves behind a slow big tow truck. Since the two are in a rush and slow traffic wouldn’t help them arriving at their destination on time, they accelerate their car to overtake the vehicle ahead. And because Emily and Leslie unintentionally provoke the wrath of a mysterious driver, the confrontation escalates into an almost unending battle of cat and mouse which further concludes in a violent rampage.

Of course, both Emily and Leslie could have either stayed at a motel or thought of a new route to avoid further trouble. But even after they stopped at a roadside eating joint where the driver had also parked his truck, they decide to take the obvious route only to confront him.

‘Wrecker’ looks gripping, intense, and pretty good in the beginning. The pace looks a tad slow initially, but once Emily and Leslie are being chased, things get better because as viewers we are almost made to believe that the pursuer (driver of the tow truck) is keen on escalating a minor bit of road rage into something much more terrifying.

Agreed, filmmaker Bafaro succeeds in creating believable and compelling characters in fascinating locations, but his wish to make 'Wrecker' a really good thriller hasn't been fulfilled. Clear absence of plot twists remains one of the key reasons for the film's failure. Since cat and mouse chase portions of the film lasts nearly an hour of the film's running time, they turn out to be the most uninteresting parts.

Much like any other film, 'Wrecker' too has its share of errors. What’s difficult to fathom is how a vehicle - the Ford Mustang, which is built essentially for speed, finds it impossible to outpace a tow truck which is driven by a person whose identity is never revealed. This lack of logic becomes so exhausting that it’s hard to watch ‘Wrecker’ without wanting to shout at the screen “but that’s not how the Ford Mustang works”.

With less of punch dialogues, and more of close-ups, things begin to get pretty repetitive here. There is nothing exceptional about the film’s overall style. While the visuals look good, the film’s music – which is played mostly during the sequences shot at night - is pretty ordinary.

Since Anna Hutchison is the total focus of the film. She has the charm for sure and looks somewhat convincing as she tries to be in control, look lost, scared and in doubt.

As far as direction goes; Micheal Bafaro does not make an attempt do anything daring. He thinks it is safe to adhere to the done-to-death formula without making any deviations – in both characterisation and situations. Every character and every stunt is recognisable. All in all, this thriller is off the mark.

Rating: 2/5