Roadhouse Queen: A weird, dusty little romantic mess

Is it worth the watch?

Look, if you are looking for a tight script or something that makes a lick of sense, skip this. But if you have a soft spot for movies that feel like they were taped together with sheer willpower and a bit of hope, you might enjoy the ride. It is definitely not for people who need their plots to stay on the rails.

The premise is essentially a disaster waiting to happen. A father goes to save his son from a 'temptress' and ends up falling into the same trap. It is the kind of setup that feels like it belongs in a much slicker movie, but Roadhouse Queen just kind of stumbles through it.

Oddly Specific Notes

• There is a moment near the middle where the lighting shifts so drastically it looks like they switched soundstages mid-sentence.
• The trapeze artist character is played with such a weird, frantic energy that I honestly couldn't tell if it was meant to be funny or just desperate.
• The background extras in the roadhouse scenes have this habit of staring directly into the camera whenever they think nobody is watching.

It’s funny, I found myself thinking about Jiggs and the Social Lion while watching this. Both films have that same frantic, 'let’s just get the camera rolling' energy where the plot takes a backseat to whatever gag the actors decided to improvise that morning.

The father’s transition from 'angry parent' to 'smitten fool' happens in about thirty seconds of screen time. It is jarring. It feels less like a character arc and more like the editor just got bored of the angry scenes and decided to cut to the romance.

There is a scene involving a chair that goes on for a bit too long. You can see the actor trying to decide if he should break character or just commit to the bit. He commits. It is… something.

Honestly, it reminds me of the pacing in Up to Mars. It just sort of ends when the film ran out of budget or film stock. No big wrap-up. No lessons learned. Just a sudden stop. 🤷‍♂️

If you like movies that feel like they were found in a dusty attic, this is for you. If you like movies that respect your time, maybe look elsewhere. I don't regret watching it, but I don't think I'll be revisiting it anytime soon.