Movie Review: Beyond the Reach

I prefer my horror movies with more of a big, scary beastie element to them, but the next movie on our list had the words "naked" and "Michael Douglas" in the description so... sounds pretty scary.

Ben is the best tracker in the county, John is a creepy, rich businessman from the city who likes to shoot things. On their first go-out together, things go south when John shoots an old man. Ben had known the old man (Charlie) his whole life and he had clearly been lost in the desert as he was burnt and dehydrated. Ben goes to get the truck so they can take Charlie back to town. John decides he's going to cover everything up and shoots Charlie dead. John tells Ben he couldn't let Charlie live because his company would suffer. He also reveals that he shot Charlie the second time with Ben's gun so he could drag him down with him if he didn't keep everything quiet.

When Ben tries to get the word out, John makes him strip naked. As John watches from the truck, Ben starts to follow the power lines as they will lead to a town eventually. He gets to marker 377 and takes off running in the adjacent direction. John takes a call and misses Ben jumping into a deep trench. Ben finds a hole of some sort and makes the entrance cave in so John doesn't see him when he hurries to find him. When he gets to the end of the tunnel, he finds a little shack that turns out to be Charlie's. John finds it after a while, blowing it up with Charlie's dynamite. John makes Ben take off the boots he'd gotten from Charlie's, but let's him keep the pants, including the map he doesn't know Ben has stowed in them. Ben finds himself a cave system with a chair in it, which he uses to make some Styrofoam shoes before climbing onto the top so John would have to drive around to get to him.

Following Charlie's map, Ben finds a jug of water. As he drinks from it, John shoots it. And then he shoots it about four more times. After a long walk, Ben collapses. After a few shots at him and no movement, John decides Ben is dead so he relaxes. Ben makes his escape while John is on a business call, climbing into a rocky ravine that John can't get into. He had followed Charlie's map there and when night fell, water pooled there and he was finally able to get water. He practices with the slingshot Charlie had hidden in the desert and when John isn't paying attention, he moves in closer. He manages to get into the truck, grabbing a hoodie. He gets stuck behind the truck though when John realizes something is amiss. John's not happy to see him and starts throwing dynamite at him as he runs back to the caves. He throws dynamite and shoots at him, but Ben still lives. Ben hears that John needs to reload his gun. He pulls out his slingshot and gets him right in the forehead, knocking him out.

They are both questioned and Ben is released. On the way to his bathroom break, John somehow ends up in a helicopter and is flown away. Ben moves in with his girlfriend, who's away at college. While they're sleeping, John sneaks in and is just creepily sitting in the chair in the corner of the room. Coincidentally, Ben has a dream of John sneaking into the house and shooting him. John goes to actually shoot him, but Ben's girlfriend shoots him first and then Ben finishes the job.

It wasn't what I thought it would be. Beyond the Reach kept me entertained and kept me on the edge of my seat. This movie - like Against the Sun - will make you extremely thirsty though so have a very large, very cold drink next to you.

"I'm not going to kill you, Ben. I'm just going to watch you wander around for a while."
"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, I kill you."

Moral of this movie: Michael Douglas's impression of Eva from Wall-E was probably the scariest part.