Zzyzx

Flying way under the radar, Richard Halpern's Zzyzx is a low-budget, high-impact thriller revolving around a pair of Sin City-bound mismatched traveling buddies—a wimpy techie and a macho Army vet—whose journey on the famous Zzyzx Road (an exit off Interstate 15 near Las Vegas) is seriously derailed when their vehicle runs over a wandering drunk. After trying to cover up the fatality, the pair—incredibly—come across the wife of the dead man as she searches for her missing husband. Needless to say, the men wind up in situations far removed from their anticipated vacation in the gambling capital, although giving away more would spoil the genuine surprises that unspool over the course of the film. If Halpern stumbles a bit with less-than-original techniques (tossing in dark legends about Zzyzx Road, as well as throwaway references to A Clockwork Orange), he mostly keeps Zzyzx in clear and suspenseful focus. A pleasant surprise here is Kenny Johnson (TV's The Shield)—playing the ex-soldier behind the wheel during the vehicular manslaughter—whose strong presence suggests he may be ready for a big screen career (provided, of course, his films get to the big screen—this flick rolled around the festival circuit but never garnered a theatrical release). Recommended. (P. Hall)