Ahhh, nothing like a good old “family road trip turns into a fight for survival” movie. You already know what’s going to happen, the only question is how. Transit is a fun thriller, a cozy B movie about a gang of criminals chasing a random family in the middle of nowhere. Why are they chasing them, you might wonder. Well, after robbing an armored truck, they stash their loot in their car to avoid a police checkpoint and things go south from there. Whew, I knew what you were thinking, they probably ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere and that’s when the gang attacked them. Kind of like in The Hills Have Eyes or something like that.
Don’t worry, this movie isn’t that creative. In fact, the whole opening sequence is eerily reminiscent of the 2009 movie The Last House on the Left. While those two movies are pure-bred horror movies, this one’s a standard-issue thriller with a bit of action. It’s very much so a product of its time so you can expect a lot of close-ups and kinetic camera movements. You know, like this is a straight-to-DVD release. This brings me to one of the more hilarious but also quite entertaining aspects of Transit. Our gang drives a stunningly gorgeous 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle. And the movie knows how to take advantage of such a beauty.
We will even get those Mad Max shots inside the engine as it’s revving up to full speed. Glorious, bloody glorious. On the other side, the family is in a boring 1994 Land-Rover Discovery, if you’re curious. Why would a gang who just committed a robbery and murder travel in such an eye-grabbing vehicle, I don’t know. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and say they’re just dumb criminals. I know that some of you might regard Transit as a trashy distraction not worth the time or the effort. However, if you’re an avid movie fan, you can’t be watching masterpieces every fucking night.
Well, you can but you would have to find a site that talks about only movies worth watching, like that highly underrated Subversive Rabbit. You have to have movies like this to tie you over to the next great thing you’re going to be watching. Additionally, after 13 years, this particular early 2010s guilty pleasure comes with a lot of nostalgia. Moreover, it can be unintentionally hilarious, like one of those so bad they’re good movies. Only this one is so stereotypical and heavy-handed that it’s good. In the lead role we have none other than Jesus himself, Mr. Jim Caviezel. He could’ve just screamed The Power of Christ Compels You at these motherfuckers but I guess he’s only human.
At least he wasn’t some badass like John Cena in similarly-themed The Marine. The main bad guy is James Frain who was sufficiently intense and serious, just like Harold Perrineau. You know, that guy from Lost or, more recently, highly popular From. All of them pale in comparison with the beauty, charm, and acting skills of the one and only Diora Baird. I’m still mad at the movie industry for not giving her a proper chance. So, every time I see her in a movie, I make sure to talk about her extensively. I recommend you check her out in Hot Tamale.
Transit features a short running time of just over 80 minutes and a solid pace. This means you shouldn’t be bored while watching it. The finale was appropriately over-the-top and preposterous, just the way I like it. If you’re looking for more movies like this check out Joy Ride and The Hitcher. I guess I should also mention Highwaymen starring Jim Caviezel.
Director: Antonio Negret
Writers: Michael Gilvary
Cast: Jim Caviezel, James Frain, Elisabeth Röhm, Harold Perrineau, Diora Baird, Sterling Knight, Ryan Donowho
Fun Facts: The movie Transit is a After Dark production mostly known for its horror releases. However, they also had a semi-successful After Dark Action franchise among which is also Getaway. Starring Selena Gomez and Ethan Hawk this is another action movie featuring a lot of cool cars and chase scenes.
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IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1059836/
