Ever since COVID hit us hard back in 2020, genre film-makers have seemingly tried to find fresh pickings whilst using the pandemic as a metaphor for life and all it affects.
In Jake Carter’s UNDER THE BYPASS, all is not what it seems and that some people are keen to retain a sense of status quo whilst struggling to come to terms with the irreversible change that they are all faced with.
The scenario harks back to the heady days of MAD MAX 2 when the ‘black fuel’ was the currency for survival. The land may appear to be green and pleasant, but pastures new is not without the possibility of tragedy.
In UNDER THE BYPASS a brother and sister, along with a stranger they met and reluctantly took with them along the way, are seeking their parents and even greater answers to help alleviate their predicament. Supplies and fuel are short but hope in their hearts remains inevitable and stable for the time being. When they chance upon a seemingly deserted farm, they seize the chance to commandeer some supplies. However, something (or someone) is lurking near and determined to commandeer them in turn….
Echoes of 28 DAYS LATER, WOLF CREEK and any number of rural horrors over the years like THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE yield the classic traditions of the genre in this competently made horror indie. There is always going to be that desire of characters to go into spaces they shouldn’t or should feel welcome in.
But that is the solid ambiguity that makes horror always one of the most reliable for film-makers making indie films. In films like FRIDAY THE 13TH there always seems to be a lack of empathy or sympathy on behalf of the audience towards characters who deliberately or unintentionally seek dark or strange rooms before meeting a shocking – and perhaps sticky – end.
So it is here. That said, it does make for an enjoyably discomforting experience and Carter’s film does tick all the boxes on all fronts genre-wise. The film-maker certainly is astute enough in terms of visual references to low-budget genre films of the past (amongst them NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and John Carpenter’s original ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13).
The locations are suitably unnerving and the limited resources heighten the visual experience.
UNDER THE BYPASS gets a World Premiere on Saturday October 10th, 2026 as part of the London Independent Film Festival 2026 October Edition.
Tickets at: https://www.genesiscinema.co.uk/event/114467