Joy Ride

"It started as a joke. Now the joke is on them."

2001 1h 38m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

🍅

74%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★6.5TMDB · 1,433🍅74%Rotten Tomatoes●75Metacritic★6.6IMDB · 80,812

MysteryThrillerDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Three young people on a road trip from Colorado to New Jersey talk to a trucker on their CB radio, then must escape when he turns out to be a psychotic killer.

“It started as a joke. Now the joke is on them.”

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Cast

Steve Zahn
Fuller
Paul Walker
Lewis
Leelee Sobieski
Venna
Jessica Bowman
Charlotte
Stuart Stone
Danny (Lewis's Roommate)
Basil Wallace
Car Salesman
Brian Leckner
Officer Keeney
Mary Wickliffe
Salt Lake City Police Desk Clerk

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Dahl
Writers: Clay Tarver, J.J. Abrams, Matt Golden
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Joy Ride Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Dahl, shot by Jeffrey Jur. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Marco Beltrami. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Eric L. Beason shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Steve Zahn and Paul Walker and Leelee Sobieski carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It started as a joke. Now the joke is on them.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0206314 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Dahl directs. Jeffrey Jur behind the camera. Marco Beltrami scores. Eric L. Beason cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

125 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "Joy Ride Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by John Dahl, shot by Jeffrey Jur. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Marco Beltrami. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Eric L. Beason shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Steve Zahn and Paul Walker and Leelee Sobieski carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "It started as a joke. Now the joke is on them.".
8IMDB entry: tt0206314 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 10 themes, including "chase", "gas station", "stalking", "psychological thriller".
10Released under 14 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jeffrey Jur
Original score: Marco Beltrami
Editing: Eric L. Beason
Production design: Robert Pearson
Makeup / hair: Leslie Sebert
Sound: Samuel Lehmer
Stunt coordinator: Terry Leonard
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $23,000,000
Box office: $36,642,838
Return: 159% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Joy Ride (2001)
Rotten Tomatoes: 74% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 75/100
IMDB rating: 6.6/10 · 80,812 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

5 nominations total

Part of

Joy Ride Collection

A road movie thriller film series about escaping the wrath of a psychotic truck driver.

Also by

John Dahl

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

JPV8522021-02-09
★ 7/10
On a whim, decided to watch this one after a long while and still an okay thriller. Doesn't make sense how Rusty Nail is able to keep track of the three leads though but still found it entertaining enough. 3.25/5
RalphRahal2024-12-17
★ 6/10
Joy Ride (2001) delivers an engaging start with a suspenseful and thrilling first act, but it loses its edge as the story progresses. Paul Walker shines as Lewis, grounding the film with a solid performance, while Steve Zahn’s portrayal of Fuller occasionally feels over the top. The suspense and tension are well-executed for much of the film, keeping viewers on edge, but the final act doesn’t live up to the buildup. The ending feels rushed and lacks the punch needed to leave a lasting impression. While entertaining, the movie falls short of its full potential with a script that could have used a stronger conclusion.