Summary
While it’s unlikely this film will gain the same cult following the 1989 version did, it offers enough fun escapism to keep you entertained for a couple of hours on a rainy night.
The Doug Liman-directed Road House (2024) is a reimagining of the 1989 Patrick Swayze-led cult classic of the same name. Prime Video released this remake of a fan-favorite action flick direct to streaming, much to the director’s dismay. It’s hard to take sides in this debate as I’ve watched far worse titles in theatres (Argylle is one recent example that comes to mind). At the very least, this movie is coherent enough and fun to watch. Unlike the original, the action takes place in the Sunshine State, where a desperate bar owner asks an ex-UFC champion with a dark past to fend off a gang of goons.
When we first meet Elwood Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal), a former UFC middleweight fighter, he lives in his car and just about gets by fighting in illegal rings. Due to his reputation, he rarely needs to engage in fights, as his opponents tend to concede as soon as they lay eyes on him.
One night, Frankie (Jessica Williams), the owner of a Florida Keys roadhouse (aptly named The Road House), approaches Dalton with an offer of employment. Despite its idyllic seafront location, great cocktails, and nightly live music, The Road House is tormented by a gang of thugs led by Dell (J. D. Pardo). Frankie needs a bouncer to keep the violent thugs out and help her keep her family’s business running.
Upon arrival to the Keys, Dalton is immediately taken with the scenic town, its people, the Road House, and his new colleagues, Billy (Lukas Gage) and Laura (B.K. Cannon). He moves into an old boat (also aptly named The Boat) owned by Frankie and gets to work cleaning up the place. On his first night, Dalton beats the light out of Dell and his thugs only to then drive them to the ER. At the hospital, he meets Ellie (Daniela Melchior), the love interest. All seems to be going well for Dalton as he’s settling into his new life.
However, there’s more to this small Florida Keys town than meets the eye, and he’ll soon face a bigger threat to the Road House than Dell and his merry band of bullies. Specifically, Dalton is up against the likes of a junior crime boss, Ben Brandt (Billy Magnussen), the town’s corrupt sheriff (Joaquim de Almeida), and the criminally insane super-thug, Knoxx (Conor McGregor).
On the surface, this movie boasts a simple yet effective premise. We have a quirky broody hero with a dark past taking it upon himself to protect a dying bar from the bad guys. Yet, the narrative gets unnecessarily convoluted throughout the runtime. Characters, twists, and plot points are introduced, rarely developed, and then dropped with little regard. It probably would have been a more enjoyable watch if it stuck to fully developing the main premise.
What makes Road House worth a shot
Gyllenhaal plays Dalton with the polite yet unhinged charm the character requires. But Conor McGregor steals the spotlight as the psychopathic villain of the story. The movie is at its most fun when the two come head-to-head. And that’s not just for the fight scenes but also the hilariously witty insult exchange.
Road House is the ideal streaming option for when you’re in the mood for a good old-fashioned campy action flick. It’s got well-choreographed violent fight scenes, some interesting boat-based action sequences, and enough one-liners to keep you smiling throughout the runtime.
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