Movies
[Review] A Rideshare Becomes a Nightmare in ‘The Toll’
In The Toll, an exhausted Cami (Jordan Hayes, SyFy’s Helix) orders a rideshare to her father’s ranch in the middle of nowhere, Canada. Her driver Spencer (Max Topplin, USA Network’s Suits) proves to be awkward and unsettling. Cami grows increasingly suspicious of Spencer’s odd behavior and, when their car breaks down on a secluded road, they both realize they’re not alone. A supernatural force known as the Toll Man (Daniel Harroch) arrives on the scene and begins pitting the two strangers against each other.
Writer/director Michael Nader returns to familiar territory after creeping audiences out with his screenplay for last year’s Head Count, a slow burn little chiller of a film that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. The Toll takes a similar approach to the narrative, moving things along at a very deliberate pace before things really fall off the rails for our protagonists. Unfortunately, the two characters at the center of The Toll aren’t able to sustain the plot like the group of college students at the center of Head Count, making for a sometimes engaging and sometimes laborious viewing experience.
While Nader directs The Toll with a confident hand, his screenplay all too often plays like a first draft. Though running a brief 80 minutes, he doesn’t seem to trust his audience to figure out what is going on. Clunky expository dialogue fills most of the second act. For example, Orphan Black‘s Rosemary Dunsmore drops in for a brief cameo solely to tell the characters (and thus, the audience) exactly what is going on and what the characters have to do to get themselves out of their situation. It’s just one of a handful of examples of the film not trusting the audience to figure things out for themselves.
The real missed opportunity here is to delve deeper into Cami’s history of sexual trauma and how that informs the person she is today. It’s a bit tricky to discuss specifics without entering spoiler territory, but suffice it to say that the film too often feels like two different films (one about a supernatural bogeyman and the other about sexual trauma) that never truly mesh well together. As a consequence, neither film is given enough attention to make much of an impact. You’ll end the film simultaneously wanting more frightful appearances of the Toll Man and more depth to Cami’s backstory.
Still, Nader is able to work quite a few effective chills into The Toll. The Toll Man himself is an appropriately menacing boogeyman, and Nader employs a wide variety of scare tactics ranging from jump scares (i.e., surprise appearances in car windows) to creepy messages to a looming sense of dread that permeates most of the scenes. Hayes and Topplin play well off of each other and make for an entertaining duo to carry you through the film, though the stilted dialogue frequently does them a disservice.
The Toll attempts to kick-start a new sub-genre of horror to mixed results. Though it employs some effectively creepy imagery and two decent lead performances, it can’t manage to overcome the shortcomings of its script, which too often likes to undermine the viewer’s intelligence. The brief 80-minute runtime and Nader’s directorial skills are enough to merit a slight recommendation, but don’t feel like you have to pay this toll.
The Toll had its world premiere this past weekend in Austin and Los Angeles and is currently seeking distribution.
Movies
‘Tha Rae: The Exorcist’ Review: Gory Thai Possession Horror Faithfully Adheres to the Tropes [NYAFF 2026]
Possession films are an exceedingly common subgenre in horror to the point that far too many of them feel far too familiar. This is a generalization, obviously, but it too often seems that someone is possessed, a representative from the area’s dominant religion is called in, and a fierce spiritual battle comes to a dramatic conclusion. The idea that the demon in question always happens to be of the exorcist’s faith and denomination is simply chalked up to plot necessity.
Tha Rae: The Exorcist adds an intriguing wrinkle into that trope by introducing a demonic entity that rebuffs both a Catholic priest and a local Yao shaman. It’s only when the two join forces that they’re able to put up a fight against the evil being.
The film opens with a Catholic exorcist out of options. A possessed child writhes before him, pustules and other signs of devilish control wracking the little girl’s body with snarls and contortions. Unable to beat the demon, and unwilling to let it grow stronger and move to another host, the priest convinces the child’s mother that death is the only choice left – so they plunge a knife into the girl’s heart.
Forty years later, it’s that same priest, Ming (Thaneth Warakulnukroh), who’s become possessed to the point of attacking and trying to eat other villagers. His daughter Malee (Nichaphat Chatchaipholra) arrives to check in on her father, but she too soon falls prey to a possessive entity with a taste for flesh. Two exorcists with wildly differing faiths and styles are called in – Sopha (Phiravich Attachitsataporn) is a self-described Yao witch doctor and TikTok exorcist who uses props, dance, theatricality, and ancestral spirits to combat the forces of evil, while Father Paolo (Jirayu Tangsrisuk) is entrenched in the traditions and rituals of the Catholic Church.
Photo: © 2025 SAHAMONGKOLFILM INTERNATIONAL COMPANY LIMITED ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. North American Premiere
There’s both tragedy and betrayal at play in the narrative of Tha Rae: The Exorcist, but director/co-writer Taweewat Wantha puts the thematic focus on the collaboration and understanding required to go toe to toe with a deviously malevolent force. It’s an interesting spin on the expected formula, and while the rest of the film stumbles in its supporting players and follows more traditional beats – albeit with some fun, gooey gore – that core element is enough to make it stand apart from the crowd.
Wantha broke onto the film scene with 2004’s memorably titled Sars Wars: Bangkok Zombie Crisis and continued that trend with oddball genre comedies like The Sperm and Kindergarten War, but he found major success with the one-two horror punch of Death Whisperer and Death Whisperer 2. His latest is more in line with those hits as jump scares and local mythologies play into his creepy tale of possession and generational punishment.
Tha Rae: The Exorcist arguably has more personality and humor, and both are due in large part to the character of Sopha and the playful but sincere performance that brings it to life. Where Tangsrisuk is saddled with the more straightlaced priest, Attachitsataporn’s witch doctor enjoys his local celebrity and has fun while aiding his community. Sopha’s social media followers expect a show, and he delivers, but there’s an engaging dynamic at play within him.
Photo: © 2025 SAHAMONGKOLFILM INTERNATIONAL COMPANY LIMITED ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. North American Premiere
Sopha’s grandmother was the original witch doctor, and he was just her apprentice. When she passed – and subsequently became the primary ancestral spirit that he calls upon during his rituals – Sopha took up the mantle. For one reason or another, continuing her legacy requires him to carry on with his more feminine foot forward. Makeup, costumes, and a feminine lilt to the way he walks and talks are all part of the show. He apologizes to Paulo for it, but there’s no shame in his words or tone as he embraces the gifts he holds and the power he wields.
There’s no disdain between the two even as they seem initially unimpressed by each other’s efforts. Eventually, though, after each has struck out in dramatic and painful fashion, they realize a combined approach to fighting this particular demon is the only way forward. It’s here where the film shines brightest with the idea that beliefs can intermingle and co-exist without the need for disdain or dismissal.
The two of them are the heart of Tha Rae: The Exorcist, but the meat and potatoes of the genre come in the form of creepy antics and a bit of the ol’ gut munching. Intestines are nibbled, a feral man bursts through floorboards to terrorize young girls, and the possessed have a generally unsettling look about them. Wantha too often neuters his atmosphere and mood, though, by jumping quickly to the gore. It cuts into the horror of it all, leaving the film to work in fits and bursts rather than as a cohesive, propulsive whole.
Shortcomings in both the script and direction prevent the film from coming close to denser, more memorable, and atmospheric possession horrors like It Comes or The Wailing, but its main theme and dual lead characters still offer up an intriguing combination.
Genre tropes exist for a reason, but Tha Rae: The Exorcist is a good reminder that they also exist to be twisted, teased, and, when necessary, torn to shreds.
Tha Rae: The Exorcist made its North American premiere at the 25th New York Asian Film Festival.
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