Movie Review: Stuck

"Stuck is a horrifying film. But I don't know if I would say it's a horror film, because it has really nothing to do with the supernatural. It's really about people, and what people will do to each other, which can sometimes be much more terrifying than anything vampires or werewolves might be up to." — Director Stuart Gordon in a featurette included on the DVD

Stuart Gordon's latest, Stuck, was recently released on DVD and Blu-ray. It is inspired by the true story of a young health care worker who hit a homeless man with her car and parked the car in her garage with the man still lodged in her window, where he slowly bled to death days later. The film represents Gordon's best chance at branching out past the horror genre. But instead of outgrowing his conventional take on stories like this, Gordon decides to stick to familiar ground.

Brandi Boski (Mena Suvari) works at a nursing home, as we find out from the clever and amusing opening credits, a slow motion overview of Brandi passing out pills to her elderly patients while a rap song plays over the scene. Her tight, cornrowed hair telegraphs her white trash existence. And in fact, she is overjoyed to hear she is being considered for a promotion that may help her leave filthy octogenarians' diapers behind. So she celebrates that night in her usual way, popping a complimentary hit of E from her dealer boyfriend, Rashid (Russell Hornsby), at the local club while getting a little buzzed on alcohol. Getting behind the wheel in her state may not be a good idea, but she decides to anyway, heading home to meet her boyfriend for a night of drug- and alcohol-fueled sex.

Tom Bardo (Stephen Rea), a recently laid off project manager, hasn't had much luck finding a job, and now loses his apartment as a result. Bureaucratic dead ends he faces at the unemployment office gradually reveal the passive nature of the man. He is not strong-willed or clever enough to get people to break out of their routine to help him in his job search. So he ends up on the street, a broken man, absorbed in his own self-pity.

Article Author: Tony Dayoub

Tony Dayoub is a screenwriter and film critic whose reviews can be found at Cinema Viewfinder, one of the top 100 film blogs according to Technorati. He recently covered the 47th New York Film Festival. Coverage of the festival and current releases can be found at Cinema Viewfinder. …

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