“The Road Works in Mysterious Ways” by Kyle Dunbar

The Road Works in Mysterious Ways

Choosing from the selections of the Dollar Babies that were available, it wasn’t hard to land on Mute, because I had always wanted to tell a hitchhiker story. Most hitchhiker tales have that brooding atmosphere, with the “pay it forward” theme, but none of them come full circle the way this one does. It’s grim and you know it’s not heading anywhere good, especially when our lead character is confiding in someone who could be good or evil. For a road film, the characters aren’t exactly seeing the vehicle they’re in as a full means of transportation, but an isolated space to confess. I wanted this to run parallel with a more comfortable and cozy interaction with a priest, where one would possibly confess in a much different way.

Even from Stephen King’s story, the themes are cleverly buried throughout. To me, the story leans into crime-drama but also leans another way with subtle religious horror elements. I adore films that are very much based in reality, but make you question if the supernatural or the paranormal really do exist behind the scenes.

– Kyle Dunbar  (January 22, 2025)