The Nature of the Beast (1995)

"Come on, Jack. Let's head on down that long, lonesome highway." - Adrian

Two men with dangerous secrets are forced to travel together.
Starring: Lance Henriksen, Eric Roberts, Sasha Jenson, Ana Gabriel

Link to IMDB

Jack

While traveling across the American desert, business man Jack Powell meets a hitchhiker named Adrian. They have lunch together, but the men have nothing in common except that they both seem to have a secret which is motivating them to be fleeing from something.

The news on the radio reveals that the local police are busy with two investigations. Someone has stolen one million dollars from a casino, and there's also a serial killer on the loose called the Hatchet Man.

While Jack seems like a typical guy, he has a mysterious briefcase he's always nervously trying to hide; and Adrian is a sleazy and mysterious drifter with a cunning attitude. The two men quickly assume how the other is connected to the investigations, as does the audience.

Adrian

Jack doesn't want to be around Adrian, so he tries to ditch him, but Adrian likes his new "friendship" with Jack and he coerces him to give him a ride or he'll tell the police about the briefcase. As the unlikely traveling companions head down the road the Hatchet Man continues to kill, and Jack begins to fear what Adrian is capable of.

As the movie unfolds it keeps you guessing as to exactly what is the nature of these two guys. Perhaps neither of them are actually criminals, and perhaps our initial instincts we had about them are incorrect.
A dark and tense atmosphere is built around the men as their fates become intertwined, and luckily it's quite fascinating because there's not much else here concerning a story.

Adrian: "I'm crazy, Jack. I am the dead man walking."
Jack: "You're an idiot."

Almost the entire movie is just Lance Henriksen and Eric Roberts playing off of each other, but they do it so well that other characters aren't even needed. The men are trapped together like prisoners in a jail cell, and watching the lengths they'll go to protect their secrets is very intriguing, especially with the inevitable violence always churning just below the surface.

This movie subverted my expectations more than once, and although it doesn't reach the heights of being a classic of the thriller genre, the actors keep it compelling, intense and ominous.


Be sure not to miss:
- The Creepy Crawler Zoo looks interesting.
- Phil Fondacaro has a cameo.
- Brion James has a small role, because he's in everything.

Internet review:
"A hidden game for fans of thrillers." - keyser_soze4321

Should I watch it?
Worth a watch, especially for fans of Henricksen and Roberts.

Where can I find it?
Links here.

The Nature of the Beast gets...