IN this menacing suspense thriller set on the vast open roads of mid-west America a routine cross country trip becomes a trip of terror for three unsuspecting teens.

After receiving a late night phone call from a girl he has fancies for years student Lewis Thomas (Paul Walker) buys a car and sets off to pick up Venna (LeeLee Sobieski) from her Colorado college and drive her cross country to their hometown in New Jersey.

On his way he has to bail out his black sheep brother Fuller (Steve Zahn) who has been busted for being drunk and disorderly.

The pair pick up a CB radio so they can keep an eye out for police as they burn the gas to get to Colorado.

Miles into the trip Fuller's bad influence becomes apparent as he goads his brother to pose as a woman on the radio. Lewis invents Candy Kane and gets through to a trucker called Rusty Nail before pretending to flirt and leading him on.

The prank escalates and with some twists and turns the boys get through to Venna and hit the road home. Little do they know the journey into terror has only just begun.

Though the story on examination may seem far-fetched, this thriller has many strengths. The screenplay by Clay Tarver and JJ Abrams is craftily assured, and John Dahl's notches up the tension well. Although reminiscent of Spielberg's Duel and last year's Jeepers Creepers, this teen psycho horror suspense thriller is well worth catching.

Road Thrill...7/10

Reviewed by Stephen Woolrich