SXSW 2024: ‘Road House’ Adequately Understands The Assignment

Road House isn’t a movie that needs a remake. The 1989 film starred Patrick Swayze as a bouncer hired to clean up a Missouri bar, only to end up defending the whole town. It did good business and became a cult classic, thanks in part to a running joke in Family Guy. Instead of taking its respectable place as a well-loved ’80s actioner, Road House is being given another go through Amazon Prime for 2024.

Immediately, controversy swarmed around the Jake Gyllenhaal-starring project. At first look, it seemed to indicate a change in direction to a UFC-focused narrative that fans didn’t respond well to. Moreover, the director initially, Doug Liman, refused to attend the premiere due to the film not getting a theatrical release. Add on allegations of the film being finished during a strike with the aid of AI, and the general buzz around the remake is decidedly negative. Now that the film has debuted at SXSW, with Liman in the audience.  It turns out there was much ado about nothing. Road House (2024) is a perfectly adequate action movie that understands the assignment. Nothing more, nothing less.

Elwood Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a disgraced UFC fighter. He finds a new purpose when the bar owner (Frankie Williams) hires him as security for the Road House in the Florida Keys. Local businessman Ben Brandt (Billy Magnussen) seeks to build up his criminal empire. The only thing standing in his way? The Road House. Helped by an unhinged enforcer Knox (Conor McGregor), Ben starts on the warpath. He didn’t count on one thing: Dalton.

Jake Gyllenhaal heavily commits to his role of Dalton. He misses the quiet cool of Patrick Swayze but puts a smarmy charm in its place. He’s a classic smart-ass who can slip into combat mode when need be. Billy Magnussen makes enough of an impression as a very punchable villain.

Yet, it’s Conor McGregor who steals the movie. He devours the scenery whole, playing an almost parody version of his public persona. Every time he’s on screen, you want more of his psychotic, wholly unpredictable character. This could be the start of a very fun character actor career in genre cinema.

What of the supporting cast? They’re fine. Road House wastes Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad) on a thankless love interest role. Similarly, Jessica Williams pops in and on out, doing nothing of consequence. Lukas Gage makes a small impression as a bar worker, though again- he’s just not in it or developed enough to get the standout role he’s capable of. That’s the best way to sum up the supporting cast: people who are trying their best without getting the opportunity to shine.

That’s primarily due to the script by Anthony Bagarozzi, and Charles Mondry is content to simply play the hits. Meaning: there’s endless cliché to behold. Each and every beat is telegraphed from miles away. Usually, this would be a problem. Thankfully, Doug Liman, as he’s shown in work like Edge of Tomorrow, is one hell of an action director. Liman infuses the film with pure kinetic energy. There’s one mission here: make the audience have a good time. Liman does this by making every moment, no matter how small, feel massive, playing things as obviously as possible.

There’s an element of melodrama, perhaps even camp, at play in Road House (2024). A tense conversation can turn into a big bar brawl. As the action explodes, it’s often riveting. In its best moments, it’s downright cheer-worthy. Fluid hand-to-hand combat, which cinematographer Henry Braham lets play out without much interruption, gives the boost of adrenaline one expects. Road House frequently plays like an over-exaggerated meme version of the “ultra badass” label the original is known for. For that reason, it’ll appeal to new audiences that have taken in the cultural idea of Road House by osmosis.

There’s an unshakeable shabbiness to Road House, however. Some of the fights feel too chaotic for their own good. It doesn’t help by intermittent free flowing camerawork that certainly reeks of A.I. integration. Even if the allegations against AI usage in the film are categorically denied, the artificiality is there regardless. Pair that with the underdeveloped supporting characters and stilted dialogue, and it starts to feel like the Emperor has no clothes.

Does of all of this make Road House (2024) a waste of time? Certainly not. Doug Liman’s director, Gyllenhaal, and McGregor all stake the case for the film well enough. At the end of the day, that’s all it is. Road House shapes up as a serviceable remake that knows what it is, and doesn’t strive to innovate beyond that. In other words, the perfect movie for streaming.

Road House (2024) Premiered at SXSW 2024 and will release on Prime Video on March 21, 2024.