VOD of the Dead - THE WAY OUT (2023)
Kitchen sink horror movies are as hit or miss as they come. More often than not, these movies are a byproduct of unfocused scripts and a lack of editing, but that doesn’t mean they always fail to entertain. You know the kinds of movies I’m referring to. The ones where they are part slasher, part monster movie, and part erotic thriller. Where there are multiple plot lines that seldom get resolved in full because of broadness. When done right these kinds of catch-all films can be a lot of fun. Take movies like SPOOKIES, HAUSU, or PHANTASM. All three are hard to classify because they cover many different horror genres within the same runtime, and they aren’t anthology films. All three films succeed, however, in their ability to harness eccentricity in a way that is both captivating and wholly original. Not all movies can do this well, especially when they are adjacent to the horror genre rather than firmly placed in it. One film leaping at the challenge is 2023’s THE WAY OUT. Directed by fitness founder turned filmmaker, BARRY JAY, and coming out on FEBRUARY 10th, is this an example of mad genius or unfocused folly of a film?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Alex is an aspiring singer/songwriter, a drug addict who’s been damaged by childhood abuse. After the death of his father and inheriting the family home, he takes in a roommate, a fighter, who takes Alex under his wing, teaching him how to fight back and stand up to abusers. But soon this leads Alex down a dark path that threatens his sobriety and his life.
HOW IS IT?
THE WAY OUT is an interesting film from an equally interesting person that seems to have a lot to say. Without knowing the filmmaker much, aside from his fitness empire, THE WAY OUT feels both personal and pulpy at the same time. Mixing multiple narratives about addiction, abuse, manipulation, friendship, and sexual identity with murder, revenge, and rape with a dash of pedophilia is a lot to take in in 94 minutes. It’s so much, that by the end I wasn’t sure what to make of it all. On the one hand, it kept my attention for most of the runtime, and on the other, it is as ridiculous as a LIFETIME ORIGINAL on meth. The final product is a decently made but ultimately unfocused film that is likely to find a cult following for those who enjoy tonally striking cinema.
The core of the story concerns Alex, who inherits his recently murdered father’s house and rents it to the hunky yet mysterious Shane, against the advisement of those closest to him. Alex, you see, has a thing for Shane, even though it seems Alex has yet to accept that he is a gay man. Shane seduces Alex and manipulates him in ways that are eerily similar to the kinds of things you would hear in a boot camp class, albeit more personal. It’s the kind of toxic motivation that fitness circles are notorious for cultivating, so it’s hard to tell if this is some sort of veiled self-aware critique or if it is in fact part advertisement for using exercise to exorcise your inner demons.
That’s kind of the problem with THE WAY OUT. It’s tonally unsure of whether it wants to commit to the campiness of the script since you’re not sure if what we are seeing is supposed to be overly dramatic or if it is meant to be taken as a personal story infused in a fictional narrative. Not only is their sexual identity on the table, but to layer in the other weighty topics of recovering from alcohol addiction and sexual abuse it feels like there is some sort of tragic competition to make Alex’s life look as miserable as possible. This makes Alex, and the decisions he makes, really hard to get behind because of how hopelessly downtrodden he is. Even when he has gained some confidence, it’s all for naught since it’s done in an effort to mimic the behavior of a sociopath. And this is just Alex, never mind the complex and surprising backstory that Shane brings to the table. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I will refrain from going further, suffice it to say that Shane brings as much baggage as a 747 to Alex’s Dreamliner full of problems.
While the film certainly lacks some focus, from a technical perspective it’s well-crafted and certainly seems as if Barry is making a smooth transition from workouts to the director’s chair. The cast all perform quite well with what they are given, and most of the failures in their characters occur largely on account of the script and just how much territory is covered. All of this said, there is something of a cult feel to this film that I could absolutely see catching on in a kitschy way. Not laughable like THE ROOM, but more like those really trashy exploitation flicks akin to SCREAM FOR HELP or BUTCHER BAKER NIGHTMARE MAKER. There is a pulpy quality to this that has some appeal, and much of that is largely because of how competently the whole affair is put together, even if it is still all over the place.
LAST RITES
THE WAY OUT has a schlocky appeal that may draw others in while pushing others away. A true kitchen-sink thriller that swings for the fences even if doesn’t always connect.
THE GORY DETAILS
Directed By
Written By
Starring
Where can you watch it?
THE WAY OUT will be released on VOD and Streaming Friday, February 10, 2023!
Stay up to date with “The Dark Side Of Pop Culture” by following MacabreDaily on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
