Goodbye Honey is Max Strand’s directorial debut and releases in select theaters, cable, and VOD May 11th. The film is a simple effective tension-filled thriller boasting an incredible cast and a satisfying suspenseful tone that is sure to entertain most audiences. 

A truck driver named Dawn (Pamela Jayne Morgan) stops to sleep but unexpectedly encounters a frantic woman (Juliette Alice Gobin) who claims she has escaped from someone who has kidnapped her for the past 4 months in his trailer and needs help. The two argue resulting in lost keys, a broken cell phone, and no one to help escape the terrifying night that awaits this engrossing duo.

Juliette Alice Gobin delivers a magnificent panic-stricken performance indicative of anyone that has gone through a traumatic event. Pamela Jayne Morgan is the real wild card; portraying a strong fleshed out woman who is relatable and balances her desire to help but is careful in her approach, displaying a resistance to trust so easily.

The cinematography is not a standout. In fact, many shots were initially difficult for me to see everything very clearly. A quarter way into the film I decided to pause the movie and turn my brightness settings all the way up. This slightly helped but I don’t think viewers should be required to edit a setting so dramatically and, ultimately, nothing about any particular part of the film was aesthetically pleasing to look at. The background is almost entirely all black in many of the scenes. This did contribute to creating an eerie atmosphere, as our characters are in the middle of nowhere. However, I think having some light on the background would have improved the viewing experience. 

Conversely, the fact that everything doesn’t have a perfectly composed or lit background adds to the natural eerie atmosphere. Most big studio movie films are concerned with making sure everything looks super clean but this film gets the essentials recorded and, while it isn’t as pleasant to look at, the result is an innate look at these terrifying circumstances and an atmosphere that may feel more realistic because it isn’t as polished as you might see in a big studio film.

Director Strand effectively utilizes the single location where the film primarily takes place. We do get to see a few flashbacks but, aside from those moments, the film’s tension builds within the location of Dawn’s truck and doesn’t lose momentum throughout its 96 minute duration. 

Goodbye Honey is a stellar straightforward unique thriller that excels in its characters, screenplay, and pacing. This is a recommendation for audiences who enjoy the thriller genre and want to go on an upbeat tension filled ride with a truck driver and an abducted woman as they seek help.