The Toll Road: available to watch online from 8th July

Fantastic news! Tom Riley's directorial debut film The Toll Road will finally be available to watch online from 8th July 2020! WeVe TV will screen the short film starring Lizzy Caplan and Martin Starr, and fans just need to subscribe to the site for a free trial. For more details, check out the official website for The Toll Road. 

In advance of the launch, a great review for the film has been shared by independent movie review site Film Threat.

The Toll Road is Tom Riley’s commentary on the current climate of discourse in America. Politics, news, and specifically, social media have become the aggressors. We’re instantly connected with Emily as she is bullied into submission and worse…silence. Just look at current events. Every opportunity to be positive, show support for a cause, or express an opinion on social media, is met with anger, macro-aggressions, and caustic trolling. Once we’re pushed into silence, we’re now crucified for being silent, which loops back to judgment when we’re bullied into saying something. It’s a maddening loop.

What makes The Toll Road so amazing…and why I like short films, in general…is how it says, “I know how you feel. You’re not alone.” Director Riley does this through Lizzy Caplan’s understated performance as Emily. We see ourselves in her because we feel what’s she’s feeling. We feel her helplessness and sympathize with her desire to not “stir the pot.” Then add Martin Starr’s valiant Stewart as the hero. The only one willing to take the literal hits to stand up for the one he loves. Billy Gardell is a capable bully, but as good as he is, it’s easy to become a bully.

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