Macabre…ish Horror Review: Penny Dreadful

Penny Dreadful, 2006/ 92 min

A woman, Penny (Rachel Miner) who is battling serious a phobia when it comes to vehicles, she and her therapist, Orianna (Mimi Rogers) are driving up into the mountains and practicing using coping skills, trying to work through her fear.

They pick up and drop off a hitchhiker (Liz Davies) and it’s all downhill from there. They end up with a flat and it turns out the hitchhiker caused it. They are in a bad situation, it is dark and they are alone on the mountain, who knows how far from help.

The therapist makes the decision to go find help and tells Penny she’ll be back and to use watch she was taught to stay calm. Penny struggles and ends up taking her meds and falling asleep. She wakes up and Orianna is back and in the driver’s seat, she’s dead. And after searching her for the key’s, Penny finds them in Orianna’s mouth. She has to pry her mouth open and get it.

Penny is terrified but gets the keys but she’s not going anywhere. So she copes with all this by taking her medication that puts her to sleep and every time she wakes up, it’s to a new horror. Next time she wakes up and the car is parked between 2 trees, trapping her inside with her therapist’s remains. She tries everything to get out and on a couple of occasions she gets someone’s attention. And every time she does, the hitchhiker makes sure everyone regrets it.

This is a psychological horror and other than being bloody, it’s not too bad. Mostly eerie with jump scares. I know there are a few Penny Dreadful movies and a series. This is the 2006 one, part of the After Dark Horror Fest with Mimi Rogers, Rachel Miner, Michael Berryman and Mickey Jones. Enjoy!!