SXSW 2024: Jake Gyllenhaal Crushes Road House In Every Single Way
Based on the 1989 film of the same name starring Patrick Swayze, Road House follows ex-UFC fighter Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) as he takes a job as a bouncer at a rowdy Florida Keys bar. The idyllic looking late night spot seems to hold more than he bargained for.
Road House is a prime example of how to do a remake right. Take a legendary film, tweak the story to modernize it, add insanely charismatic talent, hire the best fight scene choreographers and camera operators there are, and you have a hit. I will say, viewing this movie at SXSW’s opening night does give this review some nuance. When the entire cast and hundreds of giddy industry folks pack a room, you’re going to have a good time. All that said, this crowd LOVED it! Every single joke landed, every star appearance was met with applause, and the energy matched the movie the entire way through. The environment made it hard to not love the film.
Jake Gyllenhaal absolutely crushed this role in every single way. From the charming but sly style of Dalton to the perfectly executed fight sequences, it further proves the work he put into this film. The real life UFC scenes bring it together so perfectly you are able to fall into this story so genuinely. The romantic aspect of the film did fall a little flat for me as I didn’t find there to be much chemistry between Dalton and Ellie (Daniela Melchior). While this storyline was included in the original film as well, it was unnecessary in this one and wasn’t used to push the story along enough to make it worthwhile.
Were some of the fight scenes absolutely ridiculous and corny? Absolutely, but it’s an action movie and it was fun! Some of the side characters, including bar owner Frankie (Jessica Williams) and bouncer Billy (Lukas Gage), were underdeveloped and underused. Billy Magnussen plays the villain concerningly well and Conor McGregor shows a little more than expected. As an ensemble, this cast glows.
My only complaint is that the film isn’t getting its originally planned theatrical release and is going straight to Prime Video instead. The fight scenes are so good I think they deserve to be seen on a screen as big as possible. While Road House doesn’t revolutionize the genre, it was truly a fun watch and pays proper homage to the original.
Stream Road House on Prime Video on March 21.
