‘Route 10’ (2022) Netflix Movie Review - A Fight for Life

Maryam and Nasser had to attend their father’s wedding in Abu Dhabi. Just a few minutes before their departure, they learn that their flight has been canceled. In this situation, their father suggested they take the road. It takes eight hours to reach Abu Dhabi from Riyadh, so they took their luggage and started their journey by car.

Upon the start of their road trip, they came across an accident site and prayed for the well-being of the people involved. Later on, it is seen that Nasser is careless with his driving as he can often be spotted scrolling through his phone rather than looking at the road. This sent shivers as just a few moments ago, they were discussing how people drive recklessly, and now Nasser is walking in their footsteps.

Maryam and Nasser came across a white jeep which probably had some issues with the engine. Instead of helping the driver, Nasser taunted him by faking that they were coming to help. The stranger got offended and chased them like a madman. He hit their car repeatedly, stole Nasser’s shoes when they stopped at a gas station, wrote guilty at the back of their car, and even left a scorpion in the vehicle.

The duo thought of various persons who might be behind this act and concluded on four names. They even asked Police for help, but the stranger ran his car over the officer who tried to stop his vehicle. There were many terrifying scenes in which it couldn’t be made certain whether the siblings would survive or not. 

I thought that with a psycho like this and a dessert around, there are very slim chances of reaching safely to Abu Dhabi. But, it no longer mattered whether they’ll be able to reach there or not because I was satisfied watching the fight they put up to protect each other. After their mother’s death, the siblings didn’t talk much, as according to Nasser, Maryam was a reflection of their mother. One thing that didn’t make sense was why the leads were bonding when there was a constant threat to their life.

This 85-minute film keeps the audience on edge as we don’t know whether the lead characters will be able to survive or not. The attacker’s motive has also not been revealed. The least that the audience can figure out is that it has to do something with the corrupt ways of their father who had a big name in the real estate business. Throughout their journey on Route 10, the leads are haunted by this stranger.

Fatima Al Banawi as Maryam and Baraa Alem as Nasser have done a great job of portraying the horrors that their characters felt. This film is an average film with many plot twists and many other elements could have been added to make this ride more exciting. Route 10 is a one-time watch that focuses on just two things: fixing broken relationships and realizing the truth.

Final Score – [7/10]
Reviewed by - Riya Singh
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Publisher at Midgard Times