Recap / Masters of Horror S1E1 "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road"

Directed by Don Coscarelli and based on a short story by Joe R. Lansdale. While driving in the night by a lonely mountain road, young Ellen (Bree Turner) suffers a car crash and comes across a deranged, monster-like Serial Killer nicknamed "Moonface" (John deSantis). In order to survive, Ellen must put in practice the lessons she received from her Crazy Survivalist husband Bruce (Ethan Embry).

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Tropes:

• Action Girl: Ellen was trained by her survivalist husband to be prepared for anything. She proves Moonface that she's not the easiest prey and even ends up killing him in a one on one fight.
• Asshole Victim: Ellen murdered Bruce after he raped her.
• Bald of Evil: Moonface is a bald serial killer.
• Booby Trap: Laid by Ellen to keep Moonface away.
• Bookends: The film begins and ends with a closeup of Ellen's eye as she drives down the road.
• The Brute: Moonface is a behemoth of a man and clearly enjoys killing people.
• Crazy Survivalist: Ellen's husband is so obsessed with survivalism that he eventually drives her away. However, it slides into Properly Paranoid when the things he taught his wife did end up helping her when she was attacked by a psycho.
• Devious Daggers: Moonface is armed with a karambit curved dagger, though he prefers to kill his victims with a screw in his lair.
• Disney Villain Death: Moonface meets his end after Ellen knocks him out of the mountain cabin and falls into a ravine.
• Damsel in Distress:
  • Subverted Trope with Ellen. When Moonface tries to hunt her down, she shows that she's a survival expert who lays several traps for him and outsmarts him several times.
  • Played straight with the Young Woman, who unlike Ellen isn't able to defend herself and becomes easy prey.
• Domestic Abuse: Bruce becomes an emotional abuser to Ellen as their marriage disintegrates. Then, after she leaves him, he resorts to physical abuse, including rape.
• Emotionless Girl: Ellen becomes this after all the shit she's been through.
• Eye Scream: Moonface uses a drill press to remove the eyes of his victims. While still alive.
• Foil: The Young Woman is Ellen without her ability to fight back, serving as an example of the danger she's against and what will happen to her if she fails.
• Going Commando: Ellen uses her panties to make a Booby Trap while wearing a short dress.
• Gone Horribly Right: Bruce taught Ellen all he knew about survival and how to defend herself. When he raped her, she used those same skills to overpower and kill him. Obviously this is only "horribly" for Bruce, not Ellen.
• Gory Discretion Shot: The camera quickly cuts away before any actual eyeball penetration is shown, though the blood-soaked drill is shown afterwards.
• He Who Fights Monsters: Ellen eerily takes on many of Moonface's mannerisms at the end. She gives her dead husband the same treatment Moonface gave to his victims and kills Moonface's insane captive Buddy to tie up all loose ends.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: The Young Woman is impaled through the thigh by one of Ellen's traps, which was intended for Moonface.
• Ironic Echo: Ellen echoes Moonface's signature "Sssshhhh...!" when she shoots Buddy.
• No Love for the Wicked: Moonface only wants to murder women and is not interested in "sexual things", according to Buddy.
• Outfit Decoy: Ellen fashions a booby trap for Moonface using some sticks and her own panties.
• Rape and Revenge/Rape as Backstory: Ellen was raped by Bruce prior to the episode's main plot, which she avenged by strangling him to death.
• Serial Killer: Moonface lives on a remote mountain top where he indulges in serial murder. He attacks passersby on the lonely nearby road (mostly women) to take them to his cabin where he drills out their eyes and uses their corpses to decorate around the place.
• Silent Antagonist: Moonface fits the typical mute serial killer character. His only sort-of dialogue is shushing his victims to be quiet while he tortures and murders them.
• Stockholm Syndrome: Buddy became loyal to Moonface after being his long time captive. He initially helps Ellen escape, but immediately yells at Moonface to come down and recapture her afterwards.
• Talkative Loon: Buddy has clearly lost his mind after being Moonface's captive for so long, joyfully asking Moonface's new victims if they want to sing with him or brought any candy with them before Moonface comes back. Ellen eventually shuts him up with a well-placed blow to the head.
• This Is a Drill: Moonface kills his victims by strapping them to a table and drilling through their skulls with an industrial drill, eyes first.
• Torture Cellar: Moonface performs all his kills in his dungeon underneath his cabin. He typically carves his victims' eyes out with an electrical drill.
• Twist Ending: Ellen killed Bruce and was going to dispose of his body when she suffered the accident. She ends up making it look like Bruce was another victim of Moonface.
• Vomit Indiscretion Shot: Courtesy of Ellen after she wakes up in Moonface's cabin.
• Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: Moonface is well capable of killing outside his lair, but prefers to take his victims inside and do it there after a while. This ultimately leads to his defeat and dead, as Ellen escapes and outsmarts him despite being captured at first by him.
• Would Hurt a Child: A dessicated baby corpse is among Moonface's "trophies".

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