The idea of cruising (meeting strangers in a secluded place for sex with the risk of catching an STD) is scary enough until you throw on a serial killer targeting young men. That’s basically the simple way of explaining director Matthew Montgomery’s Devil’s Path. Written by Montgomery and Stephen Twardokus, Devil’s Path sees two men meet up in a dense wilderness park for an anonymous hook-up. While there, they’re accosted by two brutes and flee deeper into the woods, forgetting that men are disappearing in the area. Now, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues, and both men will wish they just stayed home to masturbate like the rest of us. Stephen Twardokus, JD Scalzo, Jon Gale, Michael Hampton, Steve Callahan, Spencer Kelly and Michael Van Why star in Devil’s Path, opening in Los Angeles on March 1st 2019 and heading to DVD and VOD on March 5th 2019 courtesy of Breaking Glass Pictures. A 90’s styled suspense thriller with drama and horror nipping at its neck, this movie was much better than I expected it to be – mostly because it has a lot of themes hidden in its dialogue and plot progression.
First of all, as an LGBT movie, I wanted to applaud this title for showcasing gay people in all shapes and shades. As much as Hollywood and major media want you to believe all gays are “Yaasssss qweeeen,” that’s certainly not the case. Everyone is different, no matter who you love, and Devil’s Path showcases masculine, feminine, leather-clad, nerdy and probably closeted gay men in a realistic way; thus making it more enticing to its root demographic. In the same token, despite “cruising” being the misfortune that puts our two leads in hot water, no explicit gay sex is shown in this movie. In fact, it’s mostly talking and running, and the themes that I mentioned above are so heart-warming to watch even in a story filled with sweaty hiding and mild gore. It’s no surprise to me that Devil’s Path is an award winning feature. Themes that are covered here include seclusion and the horrors the world can inflict on you for no reason, first assumptions and if they’re ever right, is destiny open to interpretation or is it predetermined, and the way we mask insecurity with confidence. Devil’s Path is a moody, atmospheric hike in the woods, but it’s also stark and beautiful with pointed commentary on life and love.
A Proteus Picture, Devil’s Path was produced by Matthew Montgomery, Stephen Twardokus, Steve Callahan and Jon Gale. It features cinematography by Stephen Tringali and editing by Alan Rowe Kelly. As a production, I have no gripes about this title whatsoever. It’s shot well, edited well and certainly deserves to be on a platform as big as Breaking Glass Pictures. I think it’s deserving of a bigger theatrical run, too, so that it really has a chance to spread its wings and reach an audience. The acting was great and emotive, but my eyes were always drawn to the trails and forests featured in this movie. Just a breathtaking landscape, and I wish I was lost and being hunted just so I could experience nature like that. Because the two leads definitely weren’t enjoying their time there. As they were being hunted, the longer they were on the run, the more unhinged and out of character they became; in different ways, of course. You’ll have to see how the madness and terror of the day/night really grips them, to the point where you don’t know who you’re supposed to feel sorry for. If anything else, Devil’s Path is uncomfortable to take in because it points out one terrifying realization – in 2019, someone will kill you just for bumping into them, let alone for being gay.
Great film! Final Score: 7.5 out of 10.
