RELEASED TO TV IN 2014 and directed by Daniel Wise, "Dark Haul" (aka "Monster Truck") details events when a 279 year-old female with superpowers, Zib (Evalena Marie), is held captive and transported on a semi tractor-trailer with her gargoyle-like twin brother by a sect of "keepers" who are in conflict with other "keepers" over the interpretation of cryptic prophecy. Damon (Rick Ravanello) has developed father-like affection for the girl while Knicks (Tom Sizemore) thinks she's wholly evil, like her monster brother, the inspiration for the Jersey Devil myth. Kevin Shea plays the Catholic priest.
I was surprised by how good "Dark Haul" is, particularly compared to the typical half-baked SyFy nonsense, and was shocked by the low ratings. The script is well thought-out, the main cast is stalwart, the desolate wintery Northeast locations are great and the film's fast-paced & action-packed. The only negative you have to withstand is the unbiblical Catholic-tinged gobbledygook (but this is expected in a fantasy-based story). The cartoony monster CGI could be cited as another negative, but this is offset by the superb traditional F/X used in the climax where the creature looks like the devil incarnate, hooves and all.
Redheaded Evalena Marie is comely in a girl-next-door kind of way, not to mention all-around effective as the protagonist/antagonist. There are a couple of other quality women in the periphery, like Maya (Adrienne LaValley) and another brunette (which might be Kate Billard; it's hard to tell by the credits).
THE MOVIE RUNS 87 minutes and looks like it was shot in Pennsylvania, where the story takes place, or somewhere else in the Northeast (there's no verification of where the film was shot). WRITER: Ben Crane.
GRADE: A-
