Rest Stop (2018)
A tense Canadian short thriller in which a bookish professor must unleash his fictional alter-ego to rescue a stranger from danger.
Rest Stop - Movie Information
- Release Year: 2018
- Directed by: Stephen Baxter
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Thriller
- Runtime: 27m
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English
- Production Countries: Canada
Rest Stop - Plot
When a mild-mannered English professor, John Dykstra, faces a challenge that shakes him to his core, he has to make a choice - leave an innocent woman to die, or summon his alter-ego, the hardboiled mystery writer Rick Hardin to save her.
Rest Stop - Trailer
Watch the official trailer and see the tension unfold:
Everyone has a shadow
Where to Watch Rest Stop
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Rest Stop - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Stephen Baxter
Main Cast
- Eric Davis
- Adam Alberts
- Lorraine-Noelle Pellicone
- Kevin Woodhouse
- Christopher B. MacCabe
- Val Mervis
- Aly Slominski
- Laurent Pitre
- Ryan Doherty
- David Hudon
Writers
- Amy Halloran
- Stephen King
Rest Stop - FAQs
What is Rest Stop (2018) about?
Rest Stop follows John Dykstra, a mild-mannered English professor thrust into a life-or-death situation at a highway rest stop. To save an innocent woman, he must channel his fictional alter-ego — hardboiled mystery writer Rick Hardin — blurring the line between the man he is and the hero he writes.
Is Rest Stop based on a Stephen King story?
Yes! Rest Stop is adapted from a Stephen King short story, making it a "Dollar Baby" — a term for low-budget student or independent films licensed directly from King for a nominal fee. It's a beloved tradition that has produced some genuinely inventive short films over the years.
Where can you watch Rest Stop (2018)?
You can find streaming and viewing options for Rest Stop on JustWatch, which tracks availability across platforms in your region. Since it's a short film, availability may be limited, but JustWatch is your best starting point for finding where it's currently accessible.
What does the tagline "Everyone has a shadow" mean?
The tagline speaks directly to the film's central duality. John Dykstra's "shadow" is Rick Hardin — his fictional, tougher alter-ego. The phrase suggests that beneath every ordinary person lies a hidden, darker, or more capable self, waiting to emerge when circumstances demand it.
Who directed Rest Stop and who are the main cast members?
Rest Stop was directed by Stephen Baxter. Eric Davis leads the cast in the dual role of John Dykstra and Rick Hardin, with Adam Alberts and Lorraine-Noelle Pellicone in key supporting roles. The film was written by Amy Halloran, adapting the original Stephen King story.
What is a Dollar Baby film?
A Dollar Baby is a short or student film made under a special agreement with Stephen King, who licenses select short stories for just one dollar. The catch: the films can't be commercially distributed. Rest Stop fits squarely in this tradition, joining a long lineage of King-inspired indie shorts.
How long is Rest Stop (2018)?
Rest Stop runs just 27 minutes, making it a compact short film. Despite its brief runtime, it packs in a full narrative arc — from quiet tension to a genuine moral dilemma — proving that a tight story doesn't need feature length to leave an impression.
What are some films similar to Rest Stop?
If Rest Stop caught your attention, you might enjoy Duel (1971), Steven Spielberg's classic road-based thriller, or Curve (2016) and Prodigy (2017) for similarly tense, contained genre shorts. The Reaper's Image (2013) and Cain Rose Up (2021) are also worth exploring for fans of King-adjacent short fiction.
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