# Toad Road > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Toad_Road > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Toad_Road.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toad_Road > Source revision: 1340481521 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{about|the 2012 horror thriller film|the [York, Pennsylvania](/source/York%2C_Pennsylvania) urban legend by the same name|Seven Gates of Hell}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = Toad Road | image = ToadRoadFilmPoster.jpg | alt = | caption = Theatrical film poster | director = Jason Banker | producer = Jason Banker
Liz Levine
Adrian Salpeter | writer = Jason Banker | starring = Sara Anne Jones
James Davidson
Jim Driscoll | music = Dag Rosenqvist | cinematography = Jason Banker
Jorge Torres-Torres | editing = Jorge Torres-Torres | studio = Blackout Films | distributor = [The Woodshed](/source/SpectreVision)
Artsploitation
Random Bench Productions | released = {{Film date|2012|7|26|[Fantasia Film Festival](/source/Fantasia_Film_Festival)|2013|10|18|United States}} | runtime = 76 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''Toad Road''''' is a 2012 American independent [horror thriller](/source/horror_thriller) film directed and written by [Jason Banker](/source/Jason_Banker). ''Toad Road'' stars Sara Anne Jones, who died of a [drug overdose](/source/drug_overdose) shortly after the film's premiere, as a young college student that is introduced to drugs and becomes obsessed with an [urban legend](/source/urban_legend) about a road leading to Hell. The film premiered at the [Fantasia Film Festival](/source/Fantasia_Film_Festival) and had a limited release in October 2013. == Plot == {{more plot|date=April 2017}} Slacker James and his friends spend their days abusing alcohol and drugs and their nights at various parties. He moves through his life with a sense of boredom until he meets Sara, a college student seeking enlightenment from drugs. Knowing that this would prove harmful to her, James tries to dissuade Sara from this idea but is ultimately unsuccessful. As she becomes more and more addicted to drugs, Sara becomes obsessed with the idea of [Toad Road](/source/Seven_Gates_of_Hell), a road in [York, Pennsylvania](/source/York%2C_Pennsylvania), that possesses seven gates rumored to lead directly to Hell. Legends state that each gate, once passed, causes increasing disorientation and eventual loss of self. She persuades James to join her in an excursion to Toad Road, where the two take [acid](/source/Acid_(drug)) and eventually become separated. James ends up passing out and upon waking, finds that six months have passed since he and Sara went to Toad Road. She has been reported as missing and he is considered to be a [person of interest](/source/person_of_interest) in her disappearance. While he was missing, his friends have returned home, and he no longer has a place to stay. He moves into a shack owned by his uncle, and, pressed for details by the police and locals, turns to self-destructive activities, such as encouraging people to beat him up. Battered and feeling guilty about Sara's disappearance, he is haunted by visions of Sara. James asks her if he is responsible for her disappearance, but he receives no answer. == Cast == * Sara Anne Jones as Sara * James Davidson as James * Jim Driscoll as Detective * Whitleigh Higuera as Whitleigh * Damon Johansen as Uncle Damon * Andy Martin as Psychiatrist * Scott Rader as Scott * Jamie Siebold as Jamie * Donnie Simmons as Donnie * James Wyatt as Driver == Production == Banker first began working on ''Toad Road'' in 2008 and cast Jones as Sara, a college student addicted to drugs that becomes fascinated with the legend of [Toad Road](/source/Seven_Gates_of_Hell). He stated that he wanted to use the idea of drug addiction as a foil to the idea of the [urban legend](/source/urban_legend) of Toad Road.{{cite web|title=American Ghost Story: The Brief, Eerie Life of Model Sara Anne Jones|url=http://www.vocativ.com/culture/uncategorized/american-ghost-story-brief-eerie-life-sara-anne-jones/|work=[Vocativ](/source/Vocativ)|accessdate=November 10, 2013}} Banker was inspired to create the film after watching footage for his documentary ''All Tomorrow’s Parties''.{{cite web|title=Jason Banker and Elijah Wood on 'Toad Road'|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/jason-banker-and-elijah-wood-on-toad-road-a-new-film-that-blends-the-horrors-of-reality-with-fiction/|work=Vice|date=24 June 2013 |access-date=November 10, 2013}} Of the party footage, Banker commented that while the footage was great, it didn't "really [say] anything" and that it would be interesting to create a story "that felt like this but actually went and had a real story to it". [Elijah Wood](/source/Elijah_Wood) came across the film in 2012 during the film festival ''Nightmare City'' and decided to help produce ''Toad Road''. Many of the scenes were improvised. Banker said he shot "a wealth a footage", then edited it into a series of tonal shifts.{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3156305/fantasia-12-interview-director-jason-banker-on-drug-use-and-paranormal-experiences-in-toad-road/|title=[Fantasia '12 Interview] Director Jason Banker On Drug Use And Paranormal Experiences In 'Toad Road'|last=Nadler|first=Lonnie|work=[Bloody Disgusting](/source/Bloody_Disgusting)|date=July 28, 2012|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} The cast were non-professionals that Banker recruited from social networking website [Myspace](/source/Myspace). The interpersonal conflicts were in some cases real, as Banker wanted to find a group with natural and existing tensions. He intended to shoot the entire film himself but eventually called in Jorge Torres-Torres to assist.{{cite web|url=http://twitchfilm.com/2012/07/taking-the-toad-road-to-hell-with-jason-banker-and-jorge-torres-torres.html|title=Fantasia 2012: Taking the (Toad) Road to Hell with Jason Banker and Jorge Torres-Torres|last=Halfyard|first=Kurt|work=[Twitch Film](/source/Twitch_Film)|date=July 29, 2012|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} == Release == ''Toad Road'' premiered at the [Fantasia Film Festival](/source/Fantasia_Film_Festival) on July 26, 2012,{{cite web|title=TOAD ROAD World Premiere|url=http://www.fantasiafest.com/2012/en/films-schedule/144/toad-road|publisher=FantasiaFest|accessdate=10 November 2013}} and had a limited theatrical release in which it opened October 18, 2013, in Los Angeles and a week later in New York.{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3260079/new-toad-road-clip-gets-heated-character-posters/|title=New 'Toad Road' Clip Gets Heated; Character Posters|last=Miska|first=Brad|work=[Bloody Disgusting](/source/Bloody_Disgusting)|date=October 17, 2013|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} It was released on [DVD](/source/DVD) and [video on demand](/source/video_on_demand) on December 10, 2013.{{cite web|url=https://dreadcentral.com/news/70582/follow-toad-road-theaters-october|title=Follow the Toad Road Into Theaters This October!|last=Squires|first=John|work=[Dread Central](/source/Dread_Central)|date=September 19, 2013|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} == Reception == [Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes), a [review aggregator](/source/review_aggregator), reports that 83% of six surveyed critics gave it a positive review; the average rating was 5.6/10.{{cite web|title=Toad Road (2013)|url=https://rottentomatoes.com/m/toad_road_2013/|work=[Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes)|accessdate=November 10, 2013}} [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic) rated it 54/100.{{cite web|url=https://metacritic.com/movie/toad-road|title=Toad Road|work=[Metacritic](/source/Metacritic)|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} Dennis Harvey of ''[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))'' wrote that the film does not deliver on its promised horror elements but might be better appreciated as a [slice of life](/source/slice_of_life) drama. Harvey states that it is "intriguing if still somewhat unsatisfying on those terms", but it may reward repeat viewings.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/toad-road-review-1200725371/|title=Film Review: 'Toad Road'|last=Harvey|first=Dennis|work=[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))|date=October 14, 2013|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} Frank Scheck of ''[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)'' called it "audacious but aimless".{{cite web|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/review/toad-road-film-review-649187|title=Toad Road: Film Review|last=Scheck|first=Frank|work=[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)|date=October 17, 2013|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} Jeannette Catsoulis of ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'' called it an "uncomfortably authentic drama about the horrors of dedicated drug use" that "never overcomes the fact that watching drugged-out wastrels is rarely interesting".{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/25/movies/toad-road-stars-james-davidson.html|title=Tripping All the Way to the Gates of Hell|last=Catsoulis|first=Jeannette|work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)|date=October 24, 2013|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} Martin Tsai of ''[The Los Angeles Times](/source/The_Los_Angeles_Times)'' called it "a junkie hipster spin on the unreliable-narrator conceit" that is like "the CliffsNotes version of Dante Alighieri's ''Inferno''".{{cite news|url=https://latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-toad-road-review-story.html|title=Review: Promising 'Toad Road' cuts short its potential|last=Tsai|first=Martin|work=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)|date=October 17, 2013|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} Samuel Zimmerman of ''[Fangoria](/source/Fangoria)'' rated it 3.5/4 stars and wrote that the film's depiction of wasted suburban youth is unoriginal but raw, and it is "where the unstaged, more truly frightening moments can be found".{{cite web|url=http://www.fangoria.com/new/toad-road-movie-review/|title="Toad Road" (Movie Review)|last=Zimmerman|first=Samuel|work=[Fangoria](/source/Fangoria)|date=December 17, 2013|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} Scott Halam of [Dread Central](/source/Dread_Central) rated it 3/5 stars and wrote, "It does take a very long time to get up and running, but if you're into reality bending films, you might dig this."{{cite web|url=https://dreadcentral.com/reviews/toad-road-2012|title=Toad Road (2012)|last=Hallam|first=Scott|work=[Dread Central](/source/Dread_Central)|date=July 26, 2012|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} Michael Nordine of ''[The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice)'' wrote, "Though far from perfect, Toad Road is also the first unique horror film to come along in years".{{cite news|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-10-23/film/toad-road/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027122124/http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-10-23/film/toad-road/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 27, 2013|title=Docu-horror Film Toad Road Is a Unique Chiller|last=Nordine|first=Michael|work=[The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice)|date=October 23, 2014|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} Christopher Bell of [Indiewire](/source/Indiewire) wrote, "While it focuses on a subset of people that we've seen far too much in independent film, it brings some fresh perspective to the table".{{cite web|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/fantasia-12-review-toad-road-a-captivating-micro-budget-horror-film-20120727|title=Fantasia '12 Review: 'Toad Road' A Captivating Micro-Budget Horror Film|last=Bell|first=Christopher|work=[Indiewire](/source/Indiewire)|date=July 27, 2012|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} Kurt Halfyard of [Twitch Film](/source/Twitch_Film) wrote, "For all the easy moralizing of more conventional drug dramas, ''Toad Road'' offers a surprisingly similar morality in a decidedly more arty package."{{cite web|url=http://twitchfilm.com/2012/07/fantasia-2012-toad-road-review.html|title=Fantasia 2012 Review: TOAD ROAD|last=Halfyard|first=Kurt|work=[Twitch Film](/source/Twitch_Film)|date=July 27, 2012|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} Chuck Bowen of ''[Slant Magazine](/source/Slant_Magazine)'' rated it 2.5/5 stars and wrote, "The behavior is alarmingly and realistically staged, and you don't have to be a prude to wonder if 75 minutes in the company of these people is really time well spent."{{cite web|url=https://slantmagazine.com/film/review/toad-road|title=Toad Road|last=Bowen|first=Chuck|work=[Slant Magazine](/source/Slant_Magazine)|date=October 21, 2013|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} Bill Gibron of [PopMatters](/source/PopMatters) rated it 6/10 stars and wrote, "On ambition alone, Jason Banker and his cast deserve a lot of credit."{{cite web|url=https://popmatters.com/post/175959-the-road-no-one-should-have-taken-toad-road/|title=The Road No One Should Have Taken: 'Toad Road'|last=Gibron|first=Bill|work=[PopMatters](/source/PopMatters)|date=October 18, 2013|accessdate=August 5, 2014}} === Awards === *''Best Feature Film'', [Lausanne Underground Film and Music Festival](/source/Lausanne_Underground_Film_and_Music_Festival) (2012) *''Best Director Award'', [Fantasia Film Festival](/source/Fantasia_Film_Festival) (2012) *''Best Actor Award'', Fantasia Film Festival (2012){{cite web|title=2012 Fantasia Festival Awards 'Doomsday Book' 'Toad Road' and 'The King of Pigs'|date=9 August 2012 |url=https://indiewire.com/article/2012-fantasia-festival-awards-doomsday-book-toad-road-and-the-king-of-pigs|publisher=IndieWire|accessdate=10 November 2013}} == References == {{reflist|30em}} == External links == * {{Tumblr|toadroadmovie|Official page}} * {{IMDb title|2076372}} * {{rotten-tomatoes|id=toad_road_2013}} Category:2012 films Category:2012 horror films Category:American horror thriller films Category:American independent films Category:Films about substance abuse in the United States Category:Films based on urban legends Category:2012 English-language films Category:2012 American films Category:English-language horror films --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Toad Road](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toad_Road) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toad_Road?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.