Death Curve

Death Curve (2015)

Death Curve, originally released under the title Curve, is a 2015 psychological thriller directed by Iain Softley. The film stars Julianne Hough as Mallory Rutledge, a young woman traveling alone to her wedding. Her journey takes a nightmarish turn when she picks up a hitchhiker named Christian, played by Teddy Sears. What begins as an act of kindness quickly spirals into a fight for survival.

When Christian reveals his violent nature, Mallory deliberately crashes her car to escape. Instead of finding freedom, she becomes trapped in her overturned vehicle in a remote ravine. Injured, immobilized, and cut off from the world, Mallory must endure both the unforgiving wilderness and the psychological torment of her pursuer. With no one to rely on but herself, she is forced to improvise, endure hunger, and confront fear at its rawest level.

The strength of Death Curve lies in its stripped-down narrative. The confined setting transforms the film into a tense chamber piece, relying on atmosphere and character rather than spectacle. Julianne Hough delivers a performance that balances vulnerability with determination, embodying a woman pushed to her physical and emotional limits.

While some critics noted the story’s familiarity within the survival thriller genre, Death Curve stands out for its intensity and its portrayal of resilience in the face of despair. It is a film that captures the human instinct to fight, even when the odds are overwhelming.