Alex Pettyfer has made a movie. The 28-year-old English-American actor debuted his first feature film, Back Roads, at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year and this Friday, the film hits select theaters across the country. Pettyfer steps into the director’s chair from an actor’s perspective, and the result is a very character-driven, emotionally-rich story about a dark, dysfunctional family dynamic and a young man’s desperate attempts to keep everyone together despite the odds.
Harley tries to hold it all together
Set two years after the incarceration of his mother Bonnie (Juliette Lewis) for killing his abusive father, Harley (Pettyfer) has turned his daily life into a routine, albeit a rather mundane one. After his night shift at the local Robinson’s grocery store, he returns to the family home in rural Pennsylvania to supervise his three younger sisters, beer in hand. As the oldest, he bears the responsibility of making sure the bills are paid and food is on the table. The younger two of his three sisters comply with Harley as their new parental figure, but it’s Amber (Nicola Peltz) who is the thorn in his side. For some strange reason, Amber seems to get off on parading herself around him nearly naked, as well as having sex with random guys loud enough for Harley to hear, which eventually leads to her having sex with Harley against his will. Amber clearly has issues, so it’s no surprise that Harley turns to alcohol to numb the pain. Harley also becomes friendly with his neighbor Callie (Jennifer Morrison), a married mother who is ten years his senior. Their flirty yet platonic relationship quickly becomes sexual with secret trysts in the woods, and Harley begins to develop strong feelings for her. Whether his attachment stems from the void of losing his maternal figure or his lack of sexual experience, Harley can’t seem to let Callie go.
Click here for our exclusive interview with Alex Pettyfer, Jennifer Morrison, and Nicola Peltz.
Bombshell revelations are kept at an arm’s distance
While the story of Back Roads is a bit problematic overall, mostly due to the character of Amber and lukewarm performance from Nicola Peltz, there are artful technical moments that keep the mind from dwelling on Amber’s absurdities. The film is riddled with emotional bursts, and Pettyfer incorporates subtle behind the camera techniques that ground the performances and give them power. Most of the intense scenes take place behind glass- whether it’s a burning couch seen through a window or Harley confronting his mother through the prison partition- there is always a layer in between the action. Perhaps this is to hint at Harley’s detachment from.
The good guy finishes last
The theme of sacrifice, or falling on the sword for a loved one, is at the heart of Back Roads and because of this, the film doesn’t have the typical “happy” ending. There is never a moment of relief for Harley and this torment doesn’t lighten up throughout the entirety of the film. The decision to end Back Roads with title cards showing the statistics of child abuse feels heavy-handed (as if the audience has not already been through the trenches of Harley’s distress and torment). Ultimately, the ending is unsatisfying because the good guy finishes last, so be prepared to feel some sort of way. Based on the 1999 novel by Tawni O’Dell, Back Roads is a starter film for Alex Pettyfer in every sense of the word, but I believe that he has the potential and skill to take this experience and grow in his next film.
‘Back Roads’ is not rated. 101 minutes. Opening this Friday at the Laemmle Monica Film Center.
