Samantha Holt (Rachel Boston) had the perfect life.

Handsome boyfriend. Promising future.

A blind turn on a dark and lonely road puts her on a collision course with Bruce Miller (Jay Dee Walters), a devoted family man whose life is torn apart that night when everything he has ever loved is stripped away.

Samantha struggles with her own demons over the course of that next year, but her struggle is nothing compared to what she will endure when Bruce shows up back in her life determined to exact revenge for what he sees as justice's failure to make Holt pay for the loss of his family.

Winner of several awards during its festival run, director Robert Orr's Blind Turn is a throwback to the days when thrillers were thrilling simply because of the performances involved and not because of heightened special effects or tech wizardry. The film is well cast, especially with Rachel Boston and Jay Dee Walters in the leads. The script, by Stephanie Icke, does a terrific job of creating sympathy for both characters and making you realize that our lives really are intertwined and each decision we make has the power to impact the life of another.

That may very well be what sets Blind Turn a notch above the rest of your typical psychological thrillers. Let's face it. "Psychological thrillers" are a dime a dozen and can be found in virtually any DVD bin in any local department or video store. Your ultimate question should be "Why do I want to watch this one?"

Beyond the fine acting from Walters and Boston, it's that Orr and Icke are clearly in touch with the powerful messages lurking beneath the surface of this thrilling, exciting and occasionally frightening film. There may not be another film with as powerful an argument against drunk driving, but Blind Turn also goes deep inside the psyche' of these two individuals and examines how this drama plays out for each of them.

Blind Turn is now available on home video by those fine folks at FilmWorks Entertainment. You can pick it up in most major retailers including Wal-Mart and Fry's Electronics along with the usual retail outlets.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic