Review of Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) by Garrett C — 04 Sep 2018

This just became an overnight favorite for me, as I knew it would. I love road/car movies and this is easily one of the best I've ever seen. It chronicles the existential ennui bubbling beneath male friendship and obsession and depicts the uniquely American thirst for an endless road to nowhere. The film is minimalist and makes the audience hunger for more and a deeper understanding of what's going on, which is the same journey the characters are taking. The characters are archetypes that become surprisingly intimate as the film slowly progresses. Taylor stays perfectly in a state of unease and annoyance throughout while Wilson charms and Oates beguiles every person he encounters.

What does the movie mean? Why is a drive-in movie about street racers so brooding? The movie invites you to let it get under your skin and come back determined to figure it out, only to realize the answers are somewhere up the road, and you can never get there fast enough.