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Road trips can be stressful—especially if they involve endless hours stuck in heavy traffic or road construction with impatient passengers. But they can also be incredibly freeing: the change of scenery and the hours away from responsibilities and expectations. And in Road to Perth, two strangers end up traveling together on a healing road trip.
Road to Perth travels from Los Angeles to Australia with Alex (Tommy O’Brien), who’s still in shock after his girlfriend rejected his marriage proposal. Though they were supposed to travel to Australia together, he decides to go alone. He really has no idea what to do or where to go—but when he tries to meet up with an old online friend, he ends up on a cross-country journey with his friend’s sister, Ronnie (Hannah Lehmann), who’s on her own unexpected journey to scatter her dad’s ashes in his favorite places.
As Alex and Ronnie make their way from Adelaide to Perth, they travel through some striking locations: rocky coastlines, beaches, vast, open plains, as well as some quaint small towns. At times, it plays out like an Australian tourism video—because it’s all so beautiful that it’ll make you want to pack your bags and catch the next flight out. But paired with a laid-back score and the characters’ generally easygoing improvised banter, the stunning cinematography makes for a beautiful, serene journey.
There’s nothing fancy and nothing especially complex about this film. In fact, not much happens along the way. It’s just the story of a couple of characters who are traveling in a car together while trying to heal. And that quiet simplicity gives the film its charm. Despite the sadness that Alex feels—along with the confusion and loss—he’s a likable character who’s happy to be on the adventure. And while Ronnie tends to be blunt and straightforward—more outspoken than Alex—there are deeper emotions beneath her sometimes harsh exterior. Together, these two make their way across the countryside—she grieving alone on what was supposed to be a family road trip, he trying to figure out what he’ll do next. And gradually, as the miles pass, they find some peace—and friendship, too.
After another hectic holiday season, Road to Perth feels like the perfect January film. It’s peaceful and beautiful and undemanding—a charming journey along shorelines and through small towns on the way to healing.
Road to Perth opens in limited theaters on January 7, 2022 and will be available on demand on January 18th.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
