Road House: Movie Review

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Conor McGregor, Jessica Williams, Billy Magnussen
Director: Doug Liman

Much like a punch to the face, the 2024 version of Road House offers some vicarious hits in among the bruises.

A buffed up Jake Gyllenhaal brings a degree of charm and smarm to his ex-UFC fighter Elwood Dalton, a man who doesn't like to get angry and who is grappling with issues from his own past.

After a fight he is due to take part in is cancelled last minute, Dalton is approached by Frankie, (Williams) the owner of a road house in the Florida Keys and offered a job in security. Reluctantly he takes it, and finds himself slap bang in the middle of a war between the owners of the Road House and local real estate broker Ben Brandt (Magnussen) who wants to close down the establishment and take the land for nefarious reasons.

The thing with the 2024 remake of Road House is that it veers between tones with nary a moment of consideration for the viewers.

On the one hand, it's a film about a man dealing with his past demons; on the other, it's a film of cartoonish violence shot from a POV camera that feels like something from the 80s. Yet at the same time, it's possibly destined to become a guilty pleasure of a film, one that is solidly watchable in parts despite its absurdities.

Gyllenhaal is impressive as Dalton, and his obvious charisma and appeal is on show throughout. But his appeal becomes somewhat one dimensional as the movie goes on and his lack of any potential relationship with an ER doctor (Melchor) as hinted at earlier on, just fizzles out.

As for controversial UFC fighter McGregor, it's hard to know exactly what tone Liman wanted from his villain - other than "shoot for OTT and then go even further". After a memorable entrance, McGregor's character simply becomes a cartoon threat, one that's snarling and snapping and acting in a different film to everyone else.

There are moments when the fight choreography shines in its frenetic ways, but coupled with some poor lighting and some editing, it doesn't quite gel as perhaps it should. Certainly there's plenty of bone-crunching violence, but not the relevant amounts of gore to match what transpires.

Ultimately, the 2024 Road House is the kind of B-movie you'd probably watch after a few beers with some mates; it has a few pervasive pleasures, but feels like a movie that's confused by what it wants to be - an updated homage to the Patrick Swayze great.

Road House begins streaming on Prime Video from March 21.