Hush

Mark Tonderai began his career as a DJ on Radio 1 and Kiss FM before turning his attentions to writing and directing - and this thriller is the product of his career shift.

It follows a couple named Zakes and Beth who are making a dreary journey up a rain-swept M1 when they barely avoid a run-in with a white van. As the offending vehicle overtakes, Zakes notices that there is a woman inside it, tied up and covered in blood. The couple duly stop at a service station, fall into an argument, and then Beth disappears.

Some awkward dialogue aside, things actually start out quite well here, with the misery of the British motorway system painted to perfection. It is only once the necessary psychological twists and turns begin that the film starts to wobble, and it all ends up feeling a bit Hollyoaks-gone-gory. But, feasibly, this hammy-ness might actually add to the film's appeal.

Tonderai seems to acknowledge that geographical challenges mean the UK could never produce a road-movie horror flick along the lines of Spielberg's Duel (1971), so why not rejoice in the schlock and mundanity that a British translation of the genre can offer? ·