Stuck

Stuck is a fascinating character study by way of thoroughly entertaining B-Horror. It weaves a fictional narrative with basis on the true story of a woman from Fort Worth (to absolutely no one's surprise) and the man stuck in her windshield. Mena Suvari stars as Brandi, a nursing home assistant whose life could possibly be better if she could only get that promotion. Stephen Rea co-stars as Tom, who has recently lost his job and been evicted from his apartment. After partying a little too heavily, Brandi decides to drive home. She soon hits Tom, providing the film with its central predicament. She does not stop, and somehow manages to make her way home without attracting much attention. From there she calls her part-time boyfriend, full-time drug dealer Rashid (Russell Hornsby) and the two attempt to plot a way out. Director Stuart Gordon has shown time and again that he can find humor in unlikely places, and his work here proves no exception. Stuck is often darkly hilarious in its depiction of Brandi, cornrows and all, whose sickening attempts at self-preservation (she really does want her promotion) are generally botched by her short-sightedness and stupidity. Suvari is unflinching in her performance, diving head-first into questionable material and coming out on top. The scenes involving Tom's attempts at escape manage to disgust, dishearten, and entertain equally. Rea is an excellent character actor, and his ability to evoke sympathy does not get in the way of the admittedly gallows humor. Though improbable in its climax, Stuck never falters and delivers an extremely satisfying conclusion. This film is clearly not for everyone, and will likely turn off many a viewer. However if you enjoy a mix of black comedy and gritty horror with a splash of biting social commentary, you will likely find Stuck right up your alley.