Dallas director John Burr used our hometown for the inspiration of his new thriller, which also serves as James Van Der Beek's final film.
Mason Gooding, Algee Smith and Keith Powers star as three college friends whose road trip takes a terrifying turn in It is not very often that Dallas residents get to sit in a dark theater and watch a film that actually unfolds in their hometown.
Usually, if our city even warrants a passing mention on the big screen, the hometown crowd will holler with excitement, thrilled to see our little bubble acknowledged on a global scale. But in the new thrillercomes from something far more sinister, masterfully orchestrated by Dallas-raised director John Burr. Burr’s sophomore feature is a gripping, pulse-pounding thriller that is as thoughtful as it is intense. The film follows three college students — Derek , Kevin and Tyon — on a road trip to Denton to meet college girls, but the journey takes a disastrous turn. Seeking an ill-advised shortcut, the young men find themselves trapped behind the imposing walls of a remote, affluent gated community after witnessing a brutal murder. Over the course of one terrifying night, they are hunted and fractured by their own differing belief systems, desperate to survive.Finds a Ghostface Without a Cutting Edge. “In order to tell stories for a living, you have to live life. And I definitely lived life in Dallas.” His filmmaking journey began right here in the suburbs, running around town with a video camera, sneaking into the creepiest locations he and his friends could find to shoot homemade scary movies. Those little movies eventually grew into a career. With, Burr returns to the very environment that shaped his creative lens, intent on showing the world a side of Texas rarely seen in mainstream cinema. “I took with me a desire to explore and sort of share what it really meant to live in this area and bring it onto a stage so that the rest of the world wouldn’t have these preconceived notions of what it meant to be from Dallas or from rural or suburban Texas,” Burr explains. He succeeds quite well. The film drops familiar suburban names like Richardson, Highland Park and Prosper, earning audible reactions from local crowds who understand the specific cultural connotations of those enclaves.is more than just a geographic Easter egg hunt. It is a sharp, elevated genre piece that tackles themes of race, privilege and perceived safety. Burr drew inspiration from the 1993 thriller, flipping the script on what constitutes a “dangerous neighborhood.” He poses a chilling question: What if the scariest place for a group of young Black men is actually a gilded, opulent gated community that prides itself on being a paragon of safety?) carries the film with an incredible weight, playing Derek as a deeply calculated individual. It is genuinely thrilling to watch the gears turn in his head as he attempts to outsmart his hunters. The three friends feel entirely human, burdened by their own baggage and constantly challenging one another, refusing to fall into standard horror movie tropes.in his final film role. As Pastor Jacob, the cunning patriarch who holds the entire community under his thumb, Van Der Beek delivers a terrifyingly menacing performance. He perfectly embodies the kind of manipulative leader who exploits the masses for his own gain. The actor shifts from charming to lethal in a fraction of a second, dropping his friendly facade without warning and making his character wildly unpredictable. Now, Burr reflects on the bittersweet reality of releasing the film following the actor’s passing earlier this year. “Mixed emotions. Heartbroken to lose him. He was a wonderful person, wonderful to work with,” Burr says. “At the same time, I am very proud to be able to bring his final performance to screen.”easily could have been a standard, throwaway thriller. Instead, it is a fun, intense and socially resonant ride that treats its characters — and its setting — with deep respect. It challenges our perceptions while keeping us firmly on the edge of our seats. If you want to support a homegrown filmmaker and witness a fantastic Dallas-centric thriller, you will have to make a slight commute.just outside the city limits at Frisco’s AMC Stonebriar, AMC DINE-IN Mesquite and AMC Grapevine Mills. Drive the few extra miles, because it’s absolutely worth the trip. Just be careful of any shortcuts.has been a journalist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 2010. He has contributed to several media outlets, including 92.1 KTFW, the. As a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, he is actively involved in media critique.If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Dallas' vibrant culture and arts scenes.
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