Death Valley

A thriller movie that tries to include slasher elements, but does so half-heartedly, and squanders both the location (near Death Valley) and the premise (a divorcee and her son with her boyfriend on a road trip in the desert). There’s some genuine character moments, like the very opening with Peter Billingsley (yes. Ralphie) and his dad, and the movie tries to touch on the awkwardness of the young boy meeting the boyfriend. I think the movie’s biggest sin is just a lack of energy. You never feel the tension, because the movie is going along at Sunday drive speeds. The killer is kept in the shadows or full-out off-screen too much to build up any sense of fear, so you won’t feel the family in danger either. There are a lot worse movies from this era that tried to cash in on the slasher craze. This one has some good ideas, and a good cast, but executed in a way that feels as empty as the desert setting.