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Road to the Well

Rated: Not Rated

        It’s a question often asked: How far would you go for a friend? (Although it’s usually in the form of “if your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?”) We all like to think the answer is clear; that you’d help your closest friends through almost anything, but as is so often the case in life, the answers aren’t so simple. Everyone has their limits. Jumping off a bridge simply because your friends do is silly (unless you’re swimming), but it’s good to think deeply about what your limits are. Would you help your friends commit a crime? How about helping them cover up a murder?
 
        Such is the premise for the recent film by Jon Cvack, Road to the Well. The film follows Frank, a quiet introvert of a young man who’s just broken up with his girlfriend and is having major issues at work, and his nomadic friend Jack as they travel California looking for a place to dump the body of a seemingly random murder.
Micah Parker stuffs the body into a suitcase in Road to the Well (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Cvack)

Micah Parker stuffs the body into a suitcase in Road to the Well (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Cvack)

 
        In seeing as many truly indie films as I have, you learn to look past production values, special effects, and glitches in character dialogue, and focus on the story being told. I’m not saying that these films are bad, just that often times the filmmakers are learning as they go, and may not have the funds to iron out every kink by the final version. It was obvious within the first five minutes of Road to the Well that these types of things wouldn’t be a problem.
 
        I was taken aback at just how well this film was done, especially on finding out that this was the first feature Jon had ever done. The film has the polished look of a big budget mainstream flick, and none of the “inconsistencies” that lower budget indie is known for.
 
        Part of what made this film so great was the cast Jon was able to assemble. The main character Frank is a very passive and introverted person, and Jon worried about whether he’d find anyone to fit the role as he’d envisioned it. “Frank was meant to be a very internal character. It was what made me most nervous about the casting, as finding someone who can communicate a range of views without saying a word is very difficult to accomplish. When Laurence [Fuller] came in to read for the role the search was over. He brought the exact quality to [the] initial post-murder scene between Frank and Jack, as if he had seen the precise movie that was playing in my head. When we sat down and talked about the character, I could see Laurence’s strong mind at work, pondering what we were discussing, agreeing or disagreeing, all without saying a word. It brought a tremendous amount of excitement to the character’s development,” Jon said.
Laurence Fuller prepares for the final shot in Road to the Well (Photo courtesy of Jon Cvack)

Laurence Fuller prepares for the final shot in Road to the Well (Photo courtesy of Jon Cvack)

 
        People communicate nonverbally all the time, but such communication doesn’t always translate well through the camera. What Laurence was able to accomplish in this role cannot be overstated. His ability to show internal struggle, hardship and full depth of character while saying very little was truly remarkable to watch.

        In contrast to the character of Frank was Jack, played by Micah Parker. Jack was always meant to be the more outgoing of the two, but also the much darker of the two. Jack is the person everyone wants to be around, but he’s got some very disturbing secrets that threaten to rise to the surface around every turn of this thriller. With a role as nebulous as this, actors sometimes seem to get swallowed, but Micah played it to pure perfection.

        If Road to the Well is any indication, Jon Cvack has a VERY bright future ahead of him. His attention to detail, from the opening scenes, to the final breathtaking shot, rivals that of Hollywood film veterans. This superb thriller may not have the action of its more famous counterparts, but is no less gripping. Definitely add Road to the Well to your Amazon, PlayStation, Google Play, iTunes, Xbox or DirectTV watchlists, or pick it up on DVD!

        Road to the Well is not rated, was written and directed by Jonathan Cvack and stars Laurence Fuller and Micah Parker. It won Best of Fest at Long Beach Indie and Best Supporting Actor at the Orlando Film Festival (Micah Parker). More information about Road to the Well and Jon Cvack can be found here: 
  • Road to the Well IMDB