REVIEW: 'Reroute' (2022, Lawrence Fajardo)

New on Vivamax is Lawrence Fajardo’s crime thriller Reroute. Starring Venice Film Fest 2021 Best Actor John Arcilla and the always remarkable Sid Lucero, the movie, shot in luscious black-and-white, is a refreshing departure from Vivamax’s porn-with-a-plot fare.

Reroute has a real and digestible story. It opens with a drone shot of a lone, white vehicle cruising on a thin strip of road deep in the mountains. The passengers: A bickering couple, Dan (Lucero) and his wife Trina (Cindy Miranda). They are on their way to a provincial town called Morinda. 

The black-and-white treatment of the movie provides a gorgeous texture, as the atmospheric music score enhances the anxiety in the proceedings.

The reason for their travel is vague; some gig, a family visit. But these details are irrelevant since it’s the journey that counts. But there’s a foreboding sense it will not end well.

The road trip feels doomed from the start. There’s a violent fistfight at a roadside carinderia, which establishes Dan’s volatile nature and his strong physicality — which he will later put to good use.

A surprise checkpoint delays the couple’s drive. Since the road to their destination is blocked, vehicles are rerouted and the couple loses their way. 

Soon, Arcilla, who plays a mysterious man named Gemo, emerges from the woods with a bloody animal on his shoulder. It’s a portent of who the villain is.

This is a Vivamax movie, which means there are steamy sex scenes, though done tastefully this time.

Lucero shines as the impatient, short-tempered Dan. Miranda’s expressive face complements her co-stars’ competent performances, while Nathalie Hart as Gemo’s strange wife also has a strong presence.

The plot is the typical hostage/kidnapping story, which also touches on the Stockholm Syndrome. But Fajardo, with Byron Bryant’s screenplay, injects conflict, suspense, and tension with success. And he cleverly steers away from theatrics.

Midway through the movie, the simmering violence escalates and transitions to the second part, which focuses more on Miranda’s and Arcilla’s respective characters.

This narrative shift is a letdown, as viewers may find themselves missing Miranda’s and Arcilla’s dynamics with Lucero. It likewise feels overlong. Yet every time you feel like giving up, this chamber piece has enough twists and turns to keep you hanging on till the end.

Gemo, however, does not project enough terror — this is perhaps Arcilla’s eyes look gentle and kind. Gemo’s backstory also provides a strong reason for his shocking acts. But sometimes his violent ways and howls of grief almost feel like an apology. 

Nevertheless, Reroute manages to infuse a consistent undercurrent of menace. The black-and-white treatment provides a gorgeous texture, and the atmospheric music score enhances the anxiety in the proceedings.

Reroute could have worked better if the second half was tightened. But with strong performances from its cast, combined with Fajardo’s confident direction, it is worth your time.

3/5 stars

Published in the Daily Tribune