Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Taking an ill-advised detour en-route to California, the Carter family soon run into trouble when their RV breaks down in the middle of the desert. Stranded, they find themselves at the mercy of monstrous cannibals lurking in the surrounding hills.
Wes Craven's lean exploitation horror has a genuinely unnerving survivalist premise and effectively inverts the family-unit dynamics, with the 'civilized' Carters forced to become as brutal as their cannibal attackers. However, the acting is uneven and often amateurish, and the desert cinematography, while occasionally atmospheric, is mostly functional rather than artful. The film carves out a distinctive niche in 70s horror with its raw, nihilistic tone and political subtext about nuclear testing and societal margins, giving it above-average novelty for its era. The ending delivers a satisfying if abrupt catharsis that fits the grim revenge arc.