As with most Carpenter movies, the directing is the clear highlight. Very atmospheric, love how wet and rainy this film is, good variety of shots and the music’s great. I also like this idea of the car being used as a metaphor for teenage rebellion/rock ‘n roll and almost being like a drug to the protagonist, even if the movie ultimately fails to make a profound statement about any of that and reminded me way too much of _Carrie_ in that regard. The horror element is decent, but not mindblowing. It takes a while to even get there, as this movie has a long build that I frankly think could’ve been a lot shorter. Where it falls apart for me though is with its acting and writing. The acting in particular is absolutely atrocious, it’s so stiff and amateurish, and every character is written like a gigantic cliché (yes, a lot of 80’s classics are guilty of that, but this felt like a parody to me). The main arc of the character is also super predictable, and I don’t think Keith Gordon did a good job of playing the transition of his character. He just goes from playing one stereotype to playing another stereotype. So, it doesn’t work as a nuanced drama, and as a horror movie it’s kinda half baked.

4.5/10