History Film / JoyRide

''Joy Ride'' is a 2001 horror film written and produced by Creator/JJAbrams ([[Film/StarTrek2009 yes, that]] [[Film/TheForceAwakens J.J. Abrams]]) and starring Creator/SteveZahn, Creator/PaulWalker, and Creator/LeeleeSobieski. It subsequently spawned two direct-to-video sequels: ''Film/JoyRide2DeadAhead'' (2008) and ''Film/JoyRide3Roadkill'' (2014).

* KickTheDog: Rusty needlessly [[spoiler: ramming through the ice truck]] and probably killing the driver when h could have just waited for him to go then attacked the boys.

* KickTheDog: Rusty needlessly [[spoiler: ramming through the ice truck]] and probably killing the driver when h ocoudl have just waited for him to go then attacked the boys.

** The [[spoiler: ice truck Driver turn gin out to not be Rusty Nail, leaning the characters releived]] is followed by the real Rusty Nail turning up rather brutally. In one of the commentaries, J.J. Abrams lampshades this, noting that when people are laughing with relief in the middle of a horror movie something bad is seconds away from happening.

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Throughout the films we have seen Rusty shove one guy's hands, and later face, [[DeadlyRotaryFan into the cooling fan of his truck engine]]; use a electric winch and chain to drive a bunch of bolts slowly and painfully into another guy's skull; etc...
%%* DamselInDistress: Venna.

* PoliceAreUseless: Both averted and played straight.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Rusty's motivation in all three movies. First one was to make Fuller and Lewis pay for the little incident at the hotel. The second one was for the group breaking into his house and stealing his car. The third was for the Austin nearly running him off the road while showing off.

* ToxicFriendInfluence: Fuller pressures his brother into pretending to be a girl on the radio to prank a stranger.

%%* UnresolvedSexualTension
%%* VaporWear

All three films follow roughly the same narrative: A group of young adult pranksters make the ''big'' mistake of pissing off a [[AxCrazy deranged]] truck driver, "Rusty Nail". Being the old-school road-rager that he is Rusty retaliates by stalking and terrorizing said pranksters in his [[BigBadassRig large and ominous Peterbilt]] and often taking out a few innocent bystanders in the process.

''Joy Ride'' is a 2001 horror film written and produced by Creator/JJAbrams ([[Film/StarTrek yes, that]] [[Film/TheForceAwakens J.J. Abrams]]) and starring Creator/SteveZahn, Creator/PaulWalker, and Creator/LeeleeSobieski. It subsequently spawned two direct-to-video sequels: ''Film/JoyRide2DeadAhead'' (2008) and ''Film/JoyRide3Roadkill'' (2014).

''Joy Ride'' is a 2001 horror film written and produced by Creator/JJAbrams ([[Film/StarTrek yes, that]] [[Film/TheForceAwakens J.J. Abrams]]) and starring Steve Zahn, Creator/PaulWalker, and Creator/LeeleeSobieski. It subsequently spawned two direct-to-video sequels: ''Film/JoyRide2DeadAhead'' (2008) and ''Film/JoyRide3Roadkill'' (2014).

''Joy Ride'' is a 2001 horror film written and produced by Creator/JJAbrams ([[Film/StarTrek yes, that]] [[Film/TheForceAwakens J.J. Abrams]]), starring Steve Zahn, Creator/PaulWalker, and Creator/LeeleeSobieski. It subsequently spawned two direct-to-video sequels: ''Film/JoyRide2DeadAhead'' (2008) and ''Film/JoyRide3Roadkill'' (2014).

''Joy Ride'' is a 2001 horror film written and produced by Creator/JJAbrams ([[Film/StarTrek yes, that]] [[Film/TheForceAwakens J.J. Abrams]]) and starring Creator/PaulWalker and Creator/LeeleeSobieski that subsequently spawned two direct-to-video sequels: ''Film/JoyRide2DeadAhead'' (2008) and ''Film/JoyRide3Roadkill'' (2014).

* HairTriggerTemper: Rusty, of course. In fact, a lot of the time it is unclear if Rusty is a SerialKiller actively searching for victims or simply a lonely trucker that turns really, ''really'' angry when somebody messes with him and is prone to DisproportionateRetribution. * HollywoodCB: Many times throughout the movies, the main characters and their pursuer have inexplicable privacy on the radio. In RealLife, State Highway Patrols have a tendency to monitor CB channels and other truckers would also be listening in so in reality the cops would have been all over Rusty about half-way through the first movie.

''Joy Ride'' is a 2001 horror film written and produced by Creator/JJAbrams ([[Film/StarTrek yes, that]] [[Film/TheForceAwakens J.J. Abrams]]) and starring Creator/PaulWalker and Creator/LeeleeSobieski that subsequently spawned two direct-to-video sequels: ''Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead'' (2008) and ''Film/JoyRide3Roadkill'' (2014). All three films follow roughly the same narrative. A group of young adult pranksters make the ''big'' mistake of pissing off a [[AxCrazy deranged]] truck driver, "Rusty Nail". Being the old-school road-rager that he is Rusty retaliates by stalking and terrorizing said pranksters in his [[BigBadassRig large and ominous Peterbilt]] and often taking out a few innocent bystanders in the process. The original ''Joy Ride'' was well-received by fans of the genre and critics alike; the two sequels not-so-much but they still are largely considered to be above average popcorn [[SlasherMovie slasher flicks]].

* FiveFiveFive: Rusty's cellphone number in the third movie is a 555 number.
* ActionGirl / ActionGirlfriend: Melissa in Joy Ride 2.
* AssholeVictim: A good chunk of the people Rusty targets are usually not-so-innocent and often deliberately provoked him first. Examples include the meth-addicts who tried to rob him, the main group in the second movie (they did break into his house, trash it some and steal his car after all), hell even Lewis and Fuller (Fuller especially when Rusty asked for an apology) in the first movie went out of their way to piss him off.

* BeardOfEvil: [[spoiler: Rusty, when we finally see his face in the third movie, sports a fairly impressive beard]].

* BigBadassRig: In all three movies Rusty drives a jet-black Peterbilt 379, one of the most visually impressive and intimidating trucks on the road (there is a reason that it is the same make and model of truck used for [[Film/{{TRANSFORMERS}} Optimus Prime]]).
* BloodierAndGorier: The first movie was more of a psychological thriller with minimal bloodshed (Rusty only killed one guy and put another in the intensive care ward). The two sequels were more slasher flicks that showcased Rusty using his truck to kill people in increasingly sadistic and creative ways.
* BoobyTrap: Rusty rigs one up using a shotgun with its trigger connected via string to the hotel door in the climax of the first movie.
* CallBack: In the pre-opening credits of the third movie intro one of the meth heads uses "Candy" as her CB handle prompting Rusty to respond that he knew a Candy Cane once.
* CarFu: A good chunk of the movies is Rusty playing bumper cars with the protagonists' vehicles.

* CoolCar: Rusty's silver 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle in the second film (which is promptly stolen by the main characters) and the racing team's heavily customized Subaru Impreza in the third.

* DamselInDistress: Venna in Joy Ride. Jewel in the third.
** DistressedDude: Bobby in Joy Ride 2.
* DeadlyPrank
* DeadlyRotaryFan: Shows up in the third movie when Rusty uses his truck's engine fan to dispatch one of his victims.
* DeadpanSnarker: One of Rusty's defining traits, besides sadism and brutality.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Steal Rusty's car? He'll kill you horribly. Insult truckers? Kill you horribly. Give him the finger? [[LiteralGenie He'll take that finger.]] Then again, he kills some people horribly for no particular reason at all.

* DrivesLikeCrazy
* EveryoneLives: Played straight in Joy Ride where all main cast members survive. But averted in other two movies.
* EvilIsFunny: Rusty Nail definitely has an, albeit seriously warped, sense of humor.
* EvilIsPetty: Giving Rusty the finger results in bodily mutilation of either the bird-flipper or their friends.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Rusty and this goes double when he is played by Mark Gibbon in the first sequel.
* TheFaceless: Rusty's face is always blocked by his cap. [[spoiler: This changes in the third movie where his face is seen within the first five minutes of the movie and is shown on multiple occasions thereafter.]]

* FinalGirl:
** Somehow Subverset in first film, since both girls survive.
** Melissa in Joy Ride 2, but fiancé Bobby survives too.
** Third film have one girl that survive.
* FingerInTheMail: Well, more like in the glove compartment.
* FloatingHeadSyndrome
* ForcedToWatch: Rusty is very prone to doing this his victims. The hotel and the shotgun booby-trap climax in the first, the craps game in the second, Jewel in the trailer with the electric winch in the third.
* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: The second movie revealed that Rusty is a chain smoker, a trend continued in the third.
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: [[spoiler: Well, woman in this case. Rusty ties Jewel in the third film to the top of his truck's trailer and drives towards a low-hanging bridge.]]
* HairTriggerTemper: Rusty, of course. In fact, a lot of the time it is unclear if Rusty is a SerialKiller actively searching for victims or simply a lonely trucker that turns really, ''really'' angry when somebody messes with him and is prone to DisproportionateRetribution. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rtf39cpWr0 This fact is discussed in his mock interview]] for ''Joy Ride 2'':
--> '''Interviewer:''' Where do you find the motivation to hunt down these kids and torment them like you do?
--> '''Rusty Nail:''' Where do I find the motivation to hunt down these kids and torment them like I do? Well, somebody stole your car and broke into your home and kicked your door down, messed where they shouldn't be messing, you might get angry too. I just get a little more angry than the average person and I don't let people get away with things that anger me.
* HollywoodCB: Many times throughout the movies, the main characters and their pursuer have inexplicable privacy on the radio. In RealLife, State Highway Patrols have a tendency to monitor CB channels and other truckers would also be listening in so in reality the cops would have been all over Rusty about half-way through the first movie.

* IHaveYourWife: Our girlfriend (first and third) or boyfriend (second).
* InstantHumiliationJustAddYouTube: Rusty forces Melissa in the second movie to put on a little "show" in front of what they think is his truck. It isn't, it belongs to another trucker who promptly records the entire thing and uploads it immediately.
* {{Jerkass}}: Fuller in the first movie, Nik in the second movie; hell, it seems like half the protagonists in all three movies are assholes.
* LostInTheMaize: The protagonists are chased by Rusty through a corn field.

* MetallicarSyndrome: Averted in the second movie and third movies, there aren't too many silver 71 Chevrolet Chevelles on the road and that makes it rather easy for Rusty to track the group. The racing team's customized Subaru Impreza in the third is also hard to miss.
* MuggingTheMonster:
** The group in the second movie break into a house after their car breaks down and end up stealing a beautifully restored classic muscle car from the barn. Said house and car belong to Rusty, who takes it about as well as you would expect.
** In the opening of the third movie two meth-heads think it is a good idea to lure a trucker to their hotel room so they can rob him. Unfortunately for them, said trucker is Rusty Nail.

* PitGirls: Jewel and Alisa in the third movie.
* PoliceAreUseless: Both averted and played straight.
* RoadTripPlot

* SerialKiller: Rusty Nail, by the events of ''Dead Ahead'', which has him pick up and kill a prostitute in the opening, and he is implied to have killed a female hitchhiker in the epilogue.

** The second film has Rusty blackmail Melissa into seductively stripping down to her underwear while he records it on video...only for her to discover the trucker she's stripping for isn't even him. Adding even more insult, the trucker who does record it immediately [[InstantHumiliationJustAddYouTube posts it online]].
* SchmuckBait: In the third film Rusty forces two meth-heads who tried to rob him to ride on the front of his truck with their wrists chained to the drive axle. If they let go the chain will slacken, get caught in the U-joint and wrap around the axle, dragging them under the truck. Rusty promises them that if they can hold on for a mile he will not only let them go but give them a bag of meth which, he promptly tapes to the truck's windshield and if they try to grab it the chain will slacken. Three guesses what happens.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Said by Mickey to Jordan in the third movie when he forces them to stop and gets out of the car. Unfortunately, he runs into Rusty while walking down the road.
* SlasherMovie: Joy Ride 2 and 3 turned into this.
* SlashersPreferBlondes: Averted in Joy Ride 2 where blonde girl Melissa is the film's FinalGirl. But played straight in [[spoiler: the third film where two blonde girls - Candy and Jewel - are killed]].

* TattooedCrook: Rusty.

* TooDumbToLive: The meth heads in the third movie, the crushing of the cell-phones in the second, Fuller's insulting diatribe towards Rusty when they already know he is not somebody to mess with, hell there is usually at least three or four examples in each movie.

* UnresolvedSexualTension
* VaporWear

* ActorAllusion: In the first movie Rusty is voiced by Ted Levine, who already played another [[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs another (in)famous serial killer.]]

''Joy Ride'' is a 2001 horror film written and produced by Creator/JJAbrams ([[Film/StarTrek yes, that]] [[Film/TheForceAwakens J.J. Abrams]]) and starring Creator/PaulWalker and Creator/LeeleeSobieski that subsequently spawned two direct-to-video sequels: ''Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead'' (2008) and ''Joy Ride 3: Road Kill'' (2014). All three films follow roughly the same narrative. A group of young adult pranksters make the ''big'' mistake of pissing off a [[AxCrazy deranged]] truck driver, "Rusty Nail". Being the old-school road-rager that he is Rusty retaliates by stalking and terrorizing said pranksters in his [[BigBadassRig large and ominous Peterbilt]] and often taking out a few innocent bystanders in the process. The original ''Joy Ride'' was well-received by fans of the genre and critics alike; the two sequels not-so-much but they still are largely considered to be above average popcorn [[SlasherMovie slasher flicks]].

* InstantHumiliationJustAddYouTube: Rusty forces part of the gang in the second movie to put on a little "show" in front of what they think is his truck. It isn't, it belongs to another trucker who promptly records the entire thing and uploads it immediately.

''Joy Ride'' is a 2001 horror film written and produced by Creator/JJAbrams ([[Film/StarTrek yes, that]] [[Film/TheForceAwakens J.J. Abrams]]) and starring Creator/PaulWalker and Creator/LeeleeSobieski that subsequently spawned two direct-to-video sequels: ''Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead'' (2008) and ''Joy Ride 3: Road Kill'' (2014). All three films follow roughly the same narrative. A group of young adult pranksters make the ''big'' mistake of pissing off a [[AxCrazy deranged]] truck driver, "Rusty Nail". Being the old-school road-rager that he is Rusty retaliates by stalking and terrorizing said pranksters in his [[BigBadassRig large and ominous Peterbilt]] and often taking out a few innocent bystanders in the process. The original ''Joy Ride'' was well-received by fans of the genre and critics alike; the two sequels not-so-much but they still are largely considered to be above average popcorn slasher flicks.
----

* SlasherFilm: Joy Ride 2 and 3 turned into this.

* RoadMovie

''Joy Ride'' is a 2001 horror film written and produced by Creator/JJAbrams ([[Film/StarTrek yes, that]] [[Film/StarWarsTheForceAwakens J.J. Abrams]]) and starring Creator/PaulWalker and Creator/LeeleeSobieski that subsequently spawned two direct-to-video sequels: ''Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead'' (2008) and ''Joy Ride 3: Road Kill'' (2014). All three films follow roughly the same narrative. A group of young adult pranksters make the ''big'' mistake of pissing off a [[AxCrazy deranged]] truck driver, "Rusty Nail". Being the old-school road-rager that he is Rusty retaliates by stalking and terrorizing said pranksters in his [[BigBadassRig large and ominous Peterbilt]] and often taking out a few innocent bystanders in the process. The original ''Joy Ride'' was well-received by fans of the genre and critics alike; the two sequels not-so-much but they still are largely considered to be above average popcorn slasher flicks.

''Joy Ride'' is a 2001 horror film written and produced by Creator/JJAbrams ([[Film/StarTrek yes, that]] [[Film/StarWars7 J.J. Abrams]]) and starring Creator/PaulWalker and Creator/LeeleeSobieski that subsequently spawned two direct-to-video sequels: ''Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead'' (2008) and ''Joy Ride 3: Road Kill'' (2014). All three films follow roughly the same narrative. A group of young adult pranksters make the ''big'' mistake of pissing off a [[AxCrazy deranged]] truck driver, "Rusty Nail". Being the old-school road-rager that he is Rusty retaliates by stalking and terrorizing said pranksters in his [[BigBadassRig large and ominous Peterbilt]] and often taking out a few innocent bystanders in the process. The original ''Joy Ride'' was well-received by fans of the genre and critics alike; the two sequels not-so-much but they still are largely considered to be above average popcorn slasher flicks.

* Final Girl:

* Final Girl: Melissa in Joy Ride 2, but fiancé Bobby survives too.

''Joy Ride'' is a 2001 horror film written and produced by Creator/JJAbrams ([[Film/StarTrek yes, that]] [[Film/StarWars7 J.J. Abrams]]) and starring Creator/PaulWalker and LeeleeSobieski that subsequently spawned two direct-to-video sequels: ''Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead'' (2008) and ''Joy Ride 3: Road Kill'' (2014). All three films follow roughly the same narrative. A group of young adult pranksters make the ''big'' mistake of pissing off a [[AxCrazy deranged]] truck driver, "Rusty Nail". Being the old-school road-rager that he is Rusty retaliates by stalking and terrorizing said pranksters in his [[BigBadassRig large and ominous Peterbilt]] and often taking out a few innocent bystanders in the process. The original ''Joy Ride'' was well-received by fans of the genre and critics alike; the two sequels not-so-much but they still are largely considered to be above average popcorn slasher flicks.

* {{Fanservice}}: LeeleeSobieski spent the majority of her scenes braless. To say nothing of Steve Zahn and Paul Walker [[spoiler: when Rusty blackmails Lewis and Fuller into entering a truck stop diner completely nude]].

* TheBadGuyWins: [[spoiler: In all three movies Rusty does a brutal number on his targets and escapes the police alive (albeit injured in the last two films and minus his truck in all three)]].

* CompletelyMissingThePoint: "When did you get out of jail, ''yesterday?''"

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Throughout the films we have seen Rusty shove one guy's hands, and later face, [[DeadlyRotaryFan into the cooling fan of his truck engine]]; use a electric winch and chain to drive a bunch of bolts slowly and painfully into another guy's skull; etc...

* DistressedDamsel: Venna in Joy Ride. Jewel in the third.
** DudeInDistress: Bobby in Joy Ride 2.

* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: [[spoiler: Well, woman in this case. Rusty ties Jewel in the third film to the top of his truck's trailer and drives towards a low-hanging bridge]].

* ShamefulStrip: To teach the boys what it's like to feel humiliated [[spoiler: and to distract them while he kidnaps Venna,]] Rusty blackmails them into [[spoiler: entering a diner nude and ordering a dozen cheeseburgers each.]]

* SlashersPreferBlondes: Averted in Joy Ride 2 where blonde girl Melissa is the film's FinalGirl. But played straight in [[spoiler: the third film where two blonde girls - Candy and Jewel - are killed]]

* StalkerWIthoutACrush: Good old Rusty, of course. It takes a lot to get him to quit following and messing with you if you are unlucky enough to have attracted his attention.

* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: [[spoiler: Well, woman in this case. Rusty ties Jewel in the third to top of his truck's trailer and drives towards a low-hanging bridge]].

* InstantHumiliationJustAddYouTube: Rusty forces part of the gang in the second movie to put on a little "show" in front of what they think is his truck. It isn't, it is another trucker who promptly records the entire thing and uploads it immediately.

* MyCarHatesMe: In all three movies the protoganists' car gives them trouble (like having a flat tire after they had put some distance between them and Rusty and therefore allowing Rusty to catch up).

* SerialKiller: Rusty Nail, by the events of ''Dead Ahead'', which has him pick up and kill a prostitute in the opening, and is implied to have killed a female hitchhiker in the epilogue.

* SlasherFilm: Joy Ride 2 and 3 turned in this.
* SlashersPreferBlondes: Averted in Joy Ride 2 where blonde girl Melissa is movie FinalGirl. But played straight in [[spoiler: third movie where two blondes girls, Candy and Jewel, are killed]]

* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler: Rusty in every movie ending is look like is finally killed, but turn out he is alive.]]

* ShamefulStrip: To teach the boys what it's like to feel humiliated [[spoiler: and to distract them while he kidnaps Vena,]] Rusty blackmails them into [[spoiler: entering a diner nude and ordering a dozen cheeseburgers each.]]

* HairTriggerTemper: Rusty, of course. In fact, a lot of the time it is unclear if Rusty is a SerialKiller actively searching for victims or simply a lonely trucker that turns really, ''really'' angry when somebody messes with him and is prone to DisproportionateRetribution.