Tracy (Roseanne Supernault) and her dog Pretzel (Karibou) are on a 12-hour winter drive to the Canadian “Far North” to attend her mother’s death bed. Tracy can’t seem to do anything right and has a miserable personal relationship or lack of it with her husband Danny. Even her sister Eve criticizes and disses her for not standing up for herself.
The film opens with a fatal car crash. We see the boots and hands of a man walking up to the overturned car and spilling vodka at the accident scene and placing a mickey of vodka by the car. He takes an Indigenous token hanging from the rear-view mirror. A memento of murder…classic serial killer. Those Indigenous people like to drink…..right? Just another DUI fatality?
Then a mysterious truck is on the road playing with and harassing poor Tracy and Pretzel. The intensity of the truck driver increases rapidly into potentially deadly manoeuvres including a near miss of flattening poor Pretzel and ramming her from behind at high speeds. She tells her story to the police and to a waitress at a rest stop and is not treated with respect. The policeman says to Tracy that “you people” like drinking and have you been drinking? It is clear these two people do not like Indigenous citizens demonstrated by their acts and words.
It is getting darker and colder and Tracy is running low on gas. Somehow mastering her terror she becomes angry and gains composure and courage. She approaches the cab with axe in hand and sees the driver has collected little Indigenous mementos of his victims.
Tracy makes it home safely but her mother has died. Through her travails she has gained composure and self confidence. As for that lunatic truck driver there should be no doubt he is on thin ice.
Director Kevin Redvers.
Canadian theatrical release is 26January2024.
Outstanding performance by Pretzel.
Hats off to Quentin Taratino’s “Death Proof”.
RKS 2024 Film Rating 67/100.
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 