A pleasant surprise, even if it takes an unpleasant journey. (Hence the title: if North is up on a map, South is down, down, down.) The look and feel are that of an ‘80s throwback horror show, from the ominous synth to the (mostly) practical effects to the ragged AM DJ pronouncing your doom in the midst of his pre-song patter. And while you’re at it, toss in the uncomplicated, judgment-heavy sense of morality. You have sinned. (Don't kid yourself.) You will suffer for it. So will those you love. Go ahead, try to make things better; should be good for a laugh. Five (really four) short stories, loosely connected, all of them set out there on the road, away from the familiar, the safe, the settled. All of them also featuring something that looks like escape: what are roads for, if not for getting somewhere better than here? Even the weakest, about a brother searching for a sister who is lost in more ways than one, has its lo-fi pleasures. The strongest, about a man trying to save the life of the girl he just ran down, is still lo-fi, but much more intimate (and therefore chilling). Directed by Radio Silence, Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner, and Patrick Horvath. (2016) — Matthew Lickona
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