Delivery Run
Finnish English-language thriller Delivery Run is an absolute blast that recalls the heyday of drive-in movie and TV Movie of the Week fare — 1971’s Duel is an obvious influence — but with a decidedly modern spin. Lee (Alexander Arnold) is in hot water with some bad people, and his work as a food delivery driver is not enough to pay his debts back to them. Nevertheless, he trudges on from restaurant to home during a very snowy winter, rinse and repeat, until he crosses paths with an obviously unhinged snowplow driver. This is where director/cowriter Joey Palmroos and cowriter Anders Holmes take a sharp turn from the direction viewers might expect a road rage shocker to go, ratcheting up the suspense with even more danger for our antihero. Arnold is terrific as a likable loser that we can’t help but cheer for, delivering the goods for a well-written, interesting character. The supporting players all give fine performances, too. Palmroos serves up tension galore, adding some well-timed humor to the proceedings, also. The technical aspects are all top notch. Aficionados of genre-film nailbiters, do yourselves a huge favor and go in to Delivery Run knowing nothing more about the plot than what I have mentioned here, and you will find yourselves highly entertained.
Featured image photo copyright Arctic Renegades
The Beldham
Harper (Katie Parker) is doing her best to fit in as she visits the family home where she grew up, but she is battling either mental health problems or what she believes is an occult presence in The Beldham. Conflict with her mother Sadie (Patricia Heaton) and Sadie’s significant other (Corbin Bernsen) doesn’t make things any easier as they attempt to sell the house. Harper finds a sympathetic ally in Sadie’s caretaker Bette (Emma Fitzpatrick), but this causes further turmoil within the household. Writer/director Angela Gulner does a terrific job of building mystery, suspense, and dread in generous supply, as the cast members deliver stirring performances. I’m avoiding further plot details because going in cold is the best way to tackle this feature. Suffice it to say that The Beldham is that rare type of horror film that many viewers will want to instantly rewatch, as a second viewing will offer quite a different perspective on matters. The Beldham received two FilmQuest awards: Gulner won for Best Director–Feature and Heaton won for Best Supporting Actress–Feature.
Delivery Run and The Beldham screened as part of FilmQuest, which ran October 24–November 2, 2024, in Provo, Utah.
