Plot Summary: Cami uses a ride-hailing app to go visit her father. Along the way, she and her driver Spencer encounter a supernatural threat.
One of the things that I always found safe about ride-hailing services is the fact that the company wouldn't just hire anyone to drive customers. There's usually an extensive background check involved, and the customers know they are in safe hands and not getting into the wrong car is because the app they used to hail a ride, tells them the driver's name, shows a picture (usually) and lists the car license plate number.
The address is typed beforehand so that when the customer gets into the car, they don't even have to exchange a word with the driver regarding the destination. They can sleep if they want knowing that there's no chance that the driver would do anything to harm them considering all information regarding the ride is in the system and the driver can be easily caught if he tries anything.
So when a movie comes along that exploits the concept of ride-hailing apps, I find it hard to "buy" it.
THE TOLL Movie Plot
The Toll begins with a driver choosing his next customer. He swipes through the screen until he comes to a picture of a woman, Cami.
He drives to the airport and she gets in. He knows her name is Cami and she knows his name is Spencer thanks to the app. He tells her to put in the destination and she does to which he remarks that it is a long drive.
Well, he isn't exaggerating. Cami is visiting her dad who lives on the other side of the woods, apparently. He doesn't bother picking up his daughter who has taken a late-night flight and now has to take a taxi all the way down empty roads in the middle of nowhere. Also, imagine the fare for that ride.
Anyway, Spencer is bored and makes small talk; Audrey is tired after a long flight and isn't in the mood to chat up with a driver. She makes an excuse and closes her eyes for some rest.
When she awakens she is nowhere near her destination and finds herself on another road. She questions Spencer who tells her that the GPS is making all the decisions for him. Cami checks her phone and sees the GPS is taking them on a different route than the one she is familiar with.
They come to the neck of the woods and of course, things go downhill from there. First, the car breaks down. Next, there is of course no network so no one can call for help. And then there is the blame game where Cami accuses Spencer of purposely taking them down a creepy road.
Cami decides to go for a walk instead and look for help while Spencer stays in the car so he can encounter a weird bandaged man in his read view mirror.
Cami finds herself going in circles and somehow ends up in front of Spencer's car even though she had started behind the car and tells him she didn't take a single turn. Spencer is perplexed but tries the route Cami took and finds himself back to the car but not before seeing signs of a detour that goes even deeper into the woods.
They wonder what is going on while the creepy bandaged guy writes "pay the tollman" on the car's back.
While Spencer is figuring out how to not go in circles around the woods, Cami rummages through his car and finds pictures of herself and her father. Believing him to be some sort of stalker, Cami "borrows" one of Spencer's arrows from the trunk. He has it because he's interested in hunting.
Spencer returns and when he gets in the car and finds the pictures, he tosses them back to Cami and tells her she's not cool by giving pictures of her to him.
Cami wonders if perhaps Spencer isn't a creep after all. They both warm up to each other when Cami admits she's wary of drivers because she thinks they are rapists while Spencer reveals he chose her because male customers are usually serial killers and he was hoping that as a woman she wouldn't be. Because how many famous serial killers are there?
Spencer and Cami then come across a woman called Lorraine who delivers an eerie piece of news to them: they are stuck in another dimension where the Tollman controls everything and they have to pay him. He doesn't want coins but innocent blood. Give him that and he would let them go.
Cami doesn't believe her and Lorraine tells her to touch her hand and see for herself. Cami doesn't and stops Spencer from doing it too. They tell Lorraine to call the police at least but the older woman tells them that she would but it would be pointless because the police wouldn't be able to see them. Lorraine's own encounter with the Tollman has allowed her to see others who are in the same predicament.
She leaves and when the police don't arrive after a long time, Cami curses Lorraine.
The Toll Man begins to trick Spencer and Cami, showing them illusions. In one such illusion, Cami finds her father hanging upside down only to find that he's disappeared later.
Cami and Spencer are led by the Toll Man's minions to a cabin where a TV shows them themselves. Spencer has his bow and arrow with him and Cami is already suspicious that he might try to harm her to get away from the Toll Man's dimension. The TV shows Spencer aiming his arrow at Cami. She gets alert and defends herself but now Spencer thinks Cami is going to kill him to escape.
They realize they are being tricked and run away from the cabin and get back inside the car.
THE TOLL Ending Explained with Spoilers!
Spencer finally reveals his true colours: he is a rapist and killer and wanted to lure Cami. She is attacked by him and in the struggle, she manages to overpower him and stab him.
Cami finally gets to leave. The police have arrived and Lorraine gives her a look, knowing exactly what Cami must have done to escape.
Cami's father is there as well...finally to bring his daughter home.
The movie ends but we are left wondering if Spencer was truly a man with bad intentions or not. After all, the "toll" that needs to be paid requires the blood of an innocent.
If Spencer was truly bad, his blood would not have worked. Maybe he just made the ultimate sacrifice to let Cami escape.
Or perhaps the Toll Man didn't mind some evil blood for a toll.
Scare scale: 3/5
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