ROAD HOUSE (2024) review


Road House is a blend of stoic formulas and bizarre awesomeness, mostly wrapped in one package. Think of the director of the first Captain America movie took on a Fast and Furious movie; you may get some sequences and subsequent acting that play out as if aware of the predictable nature of the story. At the same time, some elements are so whacky you’d consider them out of place but you wouldn’t have the experience without them. 

I’m of course referring to special guest appearance, UFC superstar and scum of the earth Conor McGregor. Yeah, sorry UFC fans, but McGregor is that Tyson Fury trend of cocky, arrogant and disgruntled personalities that I cannot stand. It would be one thing if he could back it up, but for almost a decade, he’s moulded into such a joke. And this is on top of his exploits and misdemeanours. Needless to say, I think he’s a disgusting human being. Still, his inclusion is something that even I can find enjoyment in. At first, it’s as odd as Ed Sheeran in Game of Thrones but slowly he does win me over. Perhaps it’s because everyone else mostly operates on a play-safe mode whereas he goes full beast mode, as if embracing the pantomime villain he’s become in the media.

This shouldn’t take away the strengths of Jake Gyllenhaal however. He is one of the hardest-hitting actors today and he is perfect to have in a movie this formulaic. Aspects of his Nightcrawler character come through towards the end, making him far from the generic good guy. In a less dimensional actor’s hands, the script would have had to shove it down our throats constantly that this man isn’t a hero (looking at you Dwayne Johnson). Gyllenhaal is a man any script is lucky to have and he can convey much of this with very few words.

In actuality, there is a more nuanced script that centres around the psyche of a former MMA fighter with a reputation, to some legendary to others problematic. In the beginning, Gyllenhaal attempts something that makes me sit up and lock my eyes on the screen. These elements appear very spaciously and begin to rev up in the third act, yet they hit the breaks before the final fight. An MMA movie that pulls its punches is enough to put on the DVD cover. 

The rest of the side characters are quite forgettable. Daniela Melchior is thankfully above a damsel in distress or relationship goal for Gyllenhaal’s rogue, but not too much is left for her to do and the relationship lacks gravitas. Billy Magnussen plays yet another conceited villain who’s in over his head, something we’ve seen dozens of times and it’s very tiring. It’s not his fault, I’m just hoping that he finds roles that don’t put him as a less psychotic and more whiny version of Antony Starr.

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