On the edge of a rural New Zealand town – at the start of a hot day – a rattlesnake basks on the road… strange… out of place in this New Zealand landscape. As we edge closer, the snake rears, twists and transforms… into a pair of snakeskin boots… which walk off into the distance, revealing a glimpse of the cowboy, who wears them, his thumb outstretched, hitching a ride…

Meanwhile, a couple of Kiwi kids are looking for a fast trip out of mundane suburbia. They’ve cut the roof off an old Valiant and are cruising the New Zealand highways, searching for an

adventure… They’re old enough to know what they’re doing – young enough to get it wrong.

Alice is the driving force. She lives in suburban New Zealand. She’d like to live on Route 66. Alice is the classic product of the TV generation. Her ordinary life can’t compare with her celluloid dreams. Her role models are Thelma and Louise. She has no religion, but she believes in the Force. When Alice takes to the road, it is in search of symbols and signs, of fictitious characters and familiar events.

Keeping the car on the ground is Johnny. He’s a law student with a built in requirement for responsibility. But, like Alice, he can’t escape the undercurrent of his generation – he is as frightened as anyone by the prospect of mediocrity. They’re looking for adventure at all costs… and they get it when their paths cross with an American snake named Seth… He’s a walking myth. He can’t possibly be real…Seth leads us into a world of New Zealand sub-cultures… the New Zealand you don’t read about in the brochures – an underbelly that’s as twisted as anything the rest of the world
can offer.

Seth takes Alice and Johnny on the ride of their dreams... but they soon discover that this sandman is just as capable of delivering nightmares. Every dream has its price – and in the heart of the Southern Alps these kids are
about to pay.

Running time
92 minutes

Starring
Boyd Kestner
Melanie Lynskey
Dean O’Gorman

Written and directed by
Gillian Ashurst.

Produced by
Vanessa Sheldrick.

A Cowgirl production in association with The NZFC, NZ On Air, Film 2 and Portman.