Highway
2014 · Directed by Imtiaz Ali
Original language: Hindi
- drama
- romance
- crime
The story
Right before her wedding, a young woman finds herself abducted and held for ransom. As the initial days pass, she begins to develop a strange bond with her kidnapper.
What it’s like
Wide, sun-scorched Himalayan and Rajasthani landscapes, shot with a loose, travelling camera that keeps catching the open road, dusty truck cabs, and mountain vistas in hazy golden daylight, with night scenes lit by warm lamps and firelight. Its vibe is restless and tender, a road-trip mood with an undercurrent of unease that slowly softens into intimacy. The pacing is episodic and unhurried, drifting from one stop to the next, with bursts of folk-tinged music and wistful songs that carry much of the emotional weight. The tone moves from fear and bristling tension toward warmth and quiet revelation, following a young woman who begins to shed the constraints of her old life and a gruff, wounded man who gradually opens up to her. Violence is limited: the abduction is tense and a few scuffles and threats occur, but there is no gore and little on-screen brutality, though the kidnapping premise brings real fear and some menace early on. Sexual content is absent beyond light romantic touching. It suits a patient, reflective evening, a long drive, or anyone wanting a character-driven journey about freedom, self-discovery, and unexpected connection, rather than a thriller.
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