Just what I expected

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Blistering performances.

"Road Games" is a classic Australian thriller, though its two key roles are played by American actors.Stacy Keach is a fantastic actor. How he has never been nominated for an Academy Award eludes me. He keeps the movie buoyant with his performance as the poetry quoting, eccentric truck driver Patrick Quid, who believes he may have seen the killer police are looking for, but then becomes a suspect himself.Jamie Lee Curtis is also great as usual, though her role is feels too small. She doesn't make her entrance until midway, and before then we meet another hitchhiker who adds little to the story. The plot could have been simplified.The beginning act, indeed, goes on a little too long for the thrills to really connect. It feels more like a road movie about Keach's character, which would have been fine. It is still a good thriller on top of everything else, and I was on the edge of my seat right at the end, but that was the first time in the movie I felt that way.Over all, "Road Games" is a classic Australian movie, but not quite as good a thriller.

Exciting, wickedly inspired "Rear Window in a truck" road thriller where a weary, incredibly sleepy truck driver becomes embroiled in a cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer, traveling in a green van, who strangles female hitchhikers he abducts with a cord, chopping up their bodies, burying the pieces across the desert highways of Nullarbor in Australia. Stacy Keach, perfectly cast, is the truck driver who finds himself wrongfully implicated(..this an obvious homage to the innocent Hitchcockian heroes, accused of crimes they didn't commit, having to clear their name by catching the real person responsible), following after the killer in an attempt to stop him. Along the way, the police begin to suspect him because of his accessible means to possibly murder victims due to his job as a trucker. Jamie Lee Curtis, in too short a role, is a hitchhiker (..a diplomat's daughter) Keach falls for, later kidnapped by the killer, with the viewer left in the dark regarding her fate..that is until the end when Keach finally corners the killer in an alley, the police in pursuit.Richard Franklin ratchets up the suspense impressively, using the Australian setting quite effectively. Keach, mostly a one-man-show, is quite likable as the blue-collar hero, with a gift for "poet-speak", given the difficult task of maintaining our interest throughout, usually chatting it up with his "dingo"(..NOT a dog, and NOT well liked by the Aussies)due to his job's lack of companionship, isolated on the road, blowing away on his harmonica, often studying his fellow drivers..his voyeuristic snooping is what sets into motion the chase, but the clever thrills of the story is the idea of "who's really chasing who?" Franklin displays a warped sense of humor particularly when the question is raised if the killer might've stored a past victim's carcass on Keach's meat truck's frozen locker! If I had a beef with the film it's the underwritten part for Curtis because not only is she a delightful presence, but her chemistry with Keach is ideal for a "budding romance while chasing after a suspected psycho" story-line. I was hoping to see her for far longer than we get of Curtis, but I understood Franklin's explanation regarding her last minute casting..it's just a shame because she lights up the screen and is absolutely a charmer, making her dialogue sizzle. The camera-work is as good as you could ask for, with a great deal of the film shot from Keach's perspective..the use of Panavision wide-screen is most splendid as are some exquisite pans around vehicles in motion. Franklin, admittedly a Hitchcock follower, uses the camera in ways that establish visually key elements that remain with the viewer(What's in the cooler? Is there a dead body in the freezer of Keach's truck? Can Keach elude the police and prove his innocence? Why is the killer slowing down?). Another thing I liked about Roadgames was how Franklin uses the green van as a menacing tool..it is more identifiable than the killer himself, for it signifies his presence. The final ending fade to black sight gag with the head was maybe a bit too much..

I would not recommend you wait on this if you are a fan of suspense. There is also an early role for Jamie Lee Curtis, as well. There are decent performances all around, save for the horrible police officers. They must have been the real thing.Pros: High suspense, well-written characters, great use of a low budget, good plot twist, keeps you guessing, fine ending.Cons: Drags in spots, dialogue can be pretentious and unrealistic, a few continuity issues, with respect to sequencing.For a PG rated movie, this is rather adult themed and creepy, if not scary. I recommend this film to all.

Many films - from classics such as Dual and The Hitcher, to lesser known gems like Hitch-Hike and modern thrillers such as Roadkill - have shown cinema audiences that the road can be a great setting for a movie, but while Roadgames certainly has it's moments; it has to be said that isn't as good as some of those that have gone before and come after. Director Richard Franklin ('Psycho II') does a good job of implementing the loneliness of the road on the audience by way of keeping the focus on the main character - a weary trucker, and ensuring that we are drawn into his plight. The lead role is taken by Stacy Keach, who fits into the role of Pat Quid nicely. Quid is driving a truck across Australia, along with his pet dingo. He picks up various hitch-hikers along the way, and at one point stops at a hotel; where he witnesses a man take in a girl he saw on the road earlier. She soon disappears, and this coincides with reports on the radio of a serial killer stalking the same roads that Quid is driving. However, that isn't all Quid has to worry about; as the police are beginning to suspect him of the crimes...My main problem with this film is that it takes too long to get going, and once it does finally get itself into gear; the plot isn't overly interesting, and it all feels rather underdone. There are a number of small things that bring the overall rating of this film up; things such as the fact that the main character has a pet dingo gives Roadgames some extra character. The lead performances are good enough, with the previously mentioned Stacy Keach carrying the entire film on his shoulders for most of the duration. Keach is an underrated actor, and it's always nice to see him in films - even underdeveloped ones like this. Jamie Lee Curtis is his co-star and is decent enough in her relatively small role, while no one else is given the screen time to impress. The score is a little bit too playful and annoying for my liking, but it's not enough to spoil the movie. Roadgames does have a number of good set pieces and the way that the director builds the mystery is good - it's just disappointing compared to other similar films. I would, however, say that if you enjoy films of this nature; Roadgames is well worth a look.