The Toll (Movie Review)

Horror, like any genre, is in a constant push/pull between old ideas, new contexts, and unique elaborations. Regardless of how many versions of a story may come before, there’s always the hope that a filmmaker’s approach brings a fresh perspective. Michael Nader’s The Toll tries hard to forge a new path down a dark yet well-traveled road, but this is one rideshare that doesn’t quite earn its five-star rating.

The Toll opens on a rideshare driver, Spencer (Max Topplin), selecting his next passenger, Cami (Jordan Hayes), who has just arrived into town on a late night flight. Cami finds herself on edge for the long drive to her destination due to Spencer’s socially awkward behavior. The tension is compounded when they find themselves stranded on a secluded road with woods surrounding them and an unknown threat lurking in the darkness.

Nader keeps the audience guessing from the start of The Toll. The opening shots are from Spencer’s point-of-view as he declines two male passengers before accepting Cami’s request. We see that Spencer’s intentions may be questionable, but he seems harmless enough and perhaps just socially inept at trying to make a connection. However, Cami’s discomfort as he tries to make awkward conversation is understood and justified. Nader works within these tense walls for quite a while, building Cami’s suspicious feelings toward Spencer’s motivations while weaving in the doubt that there’s something else at play; some other antagonistic force working to turn them against one another as they struggle to make sense of mounting red flags.

Eventually, the two are introduced to the idea of, The Toll Man. We learn this supernatural being haunts the area and traps unsuspecting souls who have recently been near the presence of death. This “toll” comes by way of blood and the entity offers a bargain: through one of the duo’s deaths, the other will be released. This tug-of-war between social horror and supernatural horror is where Nader succeeds in differentiating his film from similar setups that might favor one over the other—doing so by presenting a supernatural threat pinning two people with timely and relevant reasons to suspect and distrust one another against each other. It’s not a perfect marriage of ideas, but the setting provides an immensely eerie exercise in atmospheric horror.

Despite the film’s efforts to craft a unique antagonist, The Toll falters in its ability to conjure a memorable boogeyman. The idea of The Toll Man is more intimidating than how the figure appears on film. The heavy lifting is done almost entirely by the two leads as the visual eeriness of dark woods and vast echoing sounds surrounding them. As alluded to, Nader is trying to stay a step ahead of the audience, but any surprises in store during the final act aren’t particularly twisty and feel more expected and fall flatter than seemingly intended.

Half effective social horror and half cliched genre mish mash, The Toll is the type of horror cinema whose promises can’t fully fund the return on investment many will hope for.