Artsploitation Films is hoping horror fans will want to take a trip down Toad Road this October. The winner of Fantasia International Film Festival’s Best Director and Best Actor awards will be getting a theatrical release later this year, followed by a release on DVD and VOD. Written and directed by Jason Banker and starring James Davidson, Whitleigh Higuera, and Sara Anne Jones, Toad Road was executive produced by Elijah Wood and his SpectreVision partners Daniel Noah and Josh C. Waller.
“There is a nihilism and decay present within the characters of Toad Road that makes the film mesmerizing. The horror comes not from just a mystical location and inevitable conclusion but a very real, very dark place in each of their hearts. It’s a unique film that must be seen,” stated Brian Sokel, vice president of Artsploitation Films.
Added Elijah Wood, “We created our company to explore and expand the definition of the horror genre. Toad Road‘s blend of documentary and nightmarish hallucination speaks to this perfectly. It provides a unique and disturbing portal into self-destructive behavior that barrels horrifically out of control. We’re proud to present this extremely powerful and resonant film.”
The Plot:
Toad Road is a local urban legend about a path in the woods rumored to contain the 7 gates that lead to hell. The film follows a group of friends with few inhibitions and no boundaries perilously mixing drug use with self-discovery. In Toad Road, verité footage, drug use, drunken pranks, and personal issues comprise a disturbing portrait of contemporary youth culture where the lines between perception and reality are blurred with frightening results.
