ER
Emiliano Ranzani
•In the Namibian desert, a mysterious hitchhiker roams who kills anyone who gives him a ride; in reality, it is an ancient demon who collects the souls of the desperate to consolidate his power. A black policeman with a troubled past sets out on his trail... Second work by Richard Stanley, this time with a higher budget than "Hardware", his debut film. The first thing that stands out in this film is the director's sure and personal visionary talent, supported by the evocative music of Simon Boswell that recalls (and the effect is not unintentional) the soundtracks of Sergio Leone's films. With evident influences of Argento and Tarkovsky and with a subject very similar to "The Hitcher" by Harmon (despite this film being clearly superior), Stanley tells an epic, unsettling, and dark story - despite taking place almost always under the sun - at the same time. To fully appreciate the work, it is necessary to obtain the very rare Final Cut version that presents the editing wanted by the director himself (the version that normally circulates cuts out about thirty minutes of the film). Among the performers, Zakes Mokae (the Francois Duvalier of "The Serpent and the Rainbow" by Craven) stands out in the role of the policeman Ben Mukorob and Robert Burke (future Robocop in the third chapter of the series) absolutely fantastic in the role of the demon with the icy gaze.