Director Stuart Gordon’s “Stuck” is a strange little film. On one hand, it’s probably the most original thriller I’ve seen in quite some time, and on the other, it’s so absurdly illogical that a majority of the movie teeters on parody. Mena Suvari stars as Brandi Boski, a hard-working nursing assistant who’s just been informed by her supervisor that she’s in contention for a big promotion. When Brandi accidentally hits a homeless man (Stephen Rea) after a night out on the town, however, she panics and drives straight home, parking the car in the garage with the man stuck in her windshield. As she soon discovers, the man is still alive, and as the hours pass without any sign of medical help, he begins to fight back against his captor. Calling “Stuck” a horror movie is a bit of a stretch, but there’s definitely something horrific about the idea that one human could be so cruel to another human because they’re afraid of the consequences. Stephen Rea’s solid performance as the down-on-his-luck victim really helps drive “Stuck” through some of the more ridiculous moments, but it’s ultimately the film’s ripped-from-the-headlines story that proves to be the most engaging element. The fact that a woman really did hit a man with her car, drove home, and then waited for him to die is just crazy enough that it needs to be seen to be believed. Granted, the film takes a few turns along the way, but it only makes the ride that much more thrilling.
