It's always interesting to find lesser-known movies that hold a special place in the hearts of fans. Freeway is one such movie as the dark comedy thriller failed to make much of an impact when it was released in 1996 but remains a big cult classic among a lot of fans.
Some fans are so passionate about the movie that they discussed on Reddit the ways in which Freeway is one of the greatest movies ever made. While that might sound strange for a movie that not many people have heard of, the ways these fans discuss it will surely make anyone want to rush out and watch Freeway immediately.
It is always important for a movie to grab the audience's attention as quickly as possible. In the case of Freeway, some of the fans were hooked right from the very stylish opening credits. Redditor dilophosoupus remembers the "awesome opening credits paintings" as a particularly memorable way to kick things off.
The credits feature various animated portraits of a new and decidedly more adult version of the tale of Red Riding Hood. It is a great and memorable way to let fans know the kind of wild vision that is in store for this movie.
Fans who mostly know Reese Witherspoon from her crowd-pleasing comedies like Legally Blonde and her television dramas like Big Little Lies might be shocked at the kind of performance she delivers in Freeway. As the tough and independent Vanessa, Witherspoon really carries the movie.
Her performance goes from sweet and charming at one moment to hilariously angry and violent the next moment. Redditor blucthulhu simply said Witherspoon "is a riot" in the role and a great example of her range some fans might not have seen.
The other main role in the movie is that of Bob, the seemingly friendly man who picks Vanessa up when her car breaks down but quickly shows a much darker side. Kiefer Sutherland plays the role which was also warmly received by fans.
Sutherland embraces the character's vilest and most disturbing aspects while also not shying away from occasionally looking foolish in the role. Redditor RichardOrmonde pointed out that before Sutherland became the heroic Jack Bauer on 24 he was "so very good at playing despicable scumbags."
Many thrillers of a killer stalking a female victim feel overly familiar, but Freeway draws on some very well-known source material while adding its own strange take on it. As hinted at from the opening animated credits, the movie is inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood.
Of course, it quickly becomes clear the movie is taking a very wild and different approach to the story while also delivering plenty of unexpected twists. Redditor Lord-Sinestro called it one of the "best examples of a reimagining of a classic tale."
Freeway isn't afraid to be very cartoonish at times, but that doesn't mean that it isn't clever as well. It is especially smart when it comes to the depiction of different types of intelligence coming up against each other, namely between Vanessa and Bob.
Vanessa is shown from the beginning to be very behind academically and seen by many other characters as having low intelligence. But Redditor rr777 points out that Vanessa is "street smart" which gives her an advantage over the other characters throughout the movie.
Another interesting way that the movie plays on audience expectations of how this kind of story would play out is in how Vanessa fights back against Bob. When confronted with his dark and violent side, Vanessa is initially angry then quickly turns the tables on him.
In a great display of Witherspoon's comedic talents in the role, Vanessa also likes to add insult to injury and Redditor rr777 insisted they "loved when she would mock her adversary."
Even those who are fans of Freeway might be surprised to learn that the cult-favorite also got a sequel in 1999. Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby starred Russian Doll star Natasha Lyonne in a similarly twisted fairy tale retelling, this time focusing on Hansel and Gretel.
Despite the fact that the stars of the first movie didn't end up returning for this follow-up, many fans found it to be a worthy continuation. Redditor blucthulhu simply called the sequel "pretty great."
It is true that with the intense violence and disturbing subject matter, Freeway is not something that will appeal to all audiences. But something that makes it stand out so much to a certain type of fans is how it can be a wild viewing experience in the right setting.
Redditor Lord-Sinestro described Freeway as one of the "great late-night cable films" and the kind of movie that will hook a viewer right until the end. It is in this mindset that Freeway's strange style can deliver the biggest impact.
Though there might not be many who have seen it, Freeway seems to be one of those movies that fans will be thinking of long after the credits have rolled. That in itself is an impressive accomplishment that some bigger hit movies fail to do.
Redditor Jesta23 admits that Freeway is not a movie that people talk about often, but they watched it years ago and it is one "that stands out in my memory."
