Penny Dreadful (2006)

By Jody. Score: 3/10

Traumatized by a childhood car accident that killed her family, Penny (Rachel Miner) enlists the help of a psychologist to help her overcome her fear of cars. An accident results in a faceoff between Penny and a psychotic hitchhiker.

For the better part of 54 minutes, Penny is trapped alone in the car while her tormentor lurks outside. Tom Hanks has the skill to make two hours of screen time on a deserted island fly by. Ryan Reynolds too has the acting chops to engage a viewer for 70 minutes while buried underground. Rachel Miner.... not so much; her crying and screaming made just less than an hour feel like an eternity.

The elements of fear and claustrophobia are effectively conveyed; it's just too long of a movie. As a feature film, it is absolutely boring. As an episode of a weekly procedural, "Criminal Minds" for example, it would work much better. This is one of the most boring After Dark Horrorfest I films.

Starring: Rachel Miner and Mimi Rogers
Directed by: Richard Brandes

Budget / Gross: (info not available)
IMDB Score: 5.1/10
Tomatometer: 66% critics and 40% audiences liked it