This movie is not for everyone. It has a very specific audience, and, I just happen to be in it.
As a former critic (with an actual paying job now) I've started leaving reviews on IMDB as long as people keep sending me screeners! I'm happy to make AMBER ROAD my third official IMDB review!
This is a low-budget movie that manages to get some well-known actors and the movie makes the most of its limited budget in every way possible.
Most of the story follows an imprisoned husband and wife played by William McNamara and Janet Wang. McNamara was big star back in the 80s and 90s. He was fantastic in the horror-mystery COPYCAT opposite Sigourney Weaver. It's really great to see him back at it here and performing wonderfully in this role with limited space to do so. In fact, he and Wang barely move throughout the movie. Wang, a relative newcomer with a lot of movies coming out soon, is solid as well.
I don't know if this movie is big enough to really get noticed beyond people like me, but McNamara's performance is worthy of career revival.
Tom Sizemore, who seems to live in these types of indies these days, also makes an appearance in a few scenes with the always interesting Robert LaSardo. Their roles are a little confusing but get explained toward the movie's end.
The primary leads are lesser known but all the performances are incredibly strong. Rachel Riley, who has extensive credits, but this is the first time, I've seen her, is exceptional and creepy as the mortician turned torturer - not a spoiler as this is revealed pretty quickly.
Elissa Dowling is a low-budget horror mainstay who has a solid performance. And Jed Rowen who is probably best known for his role in the so-bad-it's-entertaining, THE AMAZING BULK, also has a good performance.
The movie borders on torture porn with its close up slashing and hacking throughout, and much of it is very graphic, and very believable. There is enough mystery and story, to keep the movie propelling forward, with some interesting surprises too.
It's a movie with budget limitations that are easy to look beyond and simply enjoy for the pure shock and gore factors.
