[Film Review] Shortcut (2021)

Teenagers in peril have long been a staple of horror, from hapless campers being picked off by a slasher to the gangs of protagonists like IT’s Losers’ Club and the friends from Stranger Things. Shortcut continues this tradition with a tale of a school road trip that veers into very dangerous territory.

Five teenagers are on a bus journey through the countryside when they and the driver are forced to take a detour after they find the main route blocked. They end up stranded in a tunnel when the bus breaks down, and soon find themselves under attack by threats both human and supernatural. 

The diversion soon becomes an ambush, and the group are held up at gunpoint by escaped prisoner Pedro Minghella (David Keyes) - also known, worryingly, as “The Tongue-Eater.” A tense stand-off ensues, as Minghella tries to hijack the vehicle. The vintage bus refuses to budge, however, and the whole group remain stranded in the dark tunnel. They soon discover that there’s something lurking in the subterranean gloom that’s even worse than a homicidal gunman, and the teenagers have to face their fears and work together to find a way out. 

Like any good teen horror, the group is made up of distinct adolescent archetypes - rebellious Reggie, shy Bess, nerd Queenie, class clown Karl, and Nolan, who takes on the role of leader. They start off isolated from each other, silently preoccupied with their own thoughts or bickering between themselves on the bus journey. But shared mortal peril has a way of kindling friendship, and by the end the five have become a tight-knit unit. The developing relationships between the young characters is one of the stronger elements of the film - they are a believable and likable bunch, with strong performances from the whole ensemble. There is an especially entertaining odd couple dynamic between the dramatically moody Reggie and affable Karl (a standout performance by Zander Emlano, which features a bravura display of air-drumming).

Good use is made of the underground setting - the latter half of the film takes place entirely in the network of tunnels and is lit only by candles and burning torches. The cave-like environment and the adventure-mystery elements of the plot give Shortcut a character reminiscent of The Goonies or an Indiana Jones movie.

In the first few minutes of Shortcut there are a number of ominous warning signs, which hint at the possible nature of the horrors to come. It’s a little frustrating, then, when very few of these bad omens end up connecting with the later events. Much emphasis is placed on the fact that a particularly impressive lunar eclipse is about to happen - the characters discuss it on the bus, and we hear a radio news segment on it in voiceover. After these first scenes it is not mentioned again, and the viewer is left somewhat puzzled by its significance, and feeling that they may have missed something connecting up the narrative dots. 

Perhaps due to its short 80 minute runtime, the film does feel a little lacking in exposition, and some key details which would give some context to the plot remain unexplained. It’s not clear what the purpose of the bus trip is, or indeed where the film is set - the teenagers and Minghella are British, the bus driver Joe is American, while road signage and names of local characters suggest that the action could take place in Italy. This lack of background details distracts from the overall narrative, as the viewer is occupied instead trying to figure out some of the basic context. 

Shortcut is a fun, straightforward, satisfying horror adventure, with plenty to recommend it. Great acting, creature design and cinematography combined with a snappy and ultimately uplifting story make it a thoroughly enjoyable watch. Even if it’s perhaps not a work that will linger in the audience's minds long after viewing, the large cast of well-rounded characters and action-filled plot ensure that none of Shortcut’s 80 minutes is a dull one.

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