Haunted Road

The events unfold in the present era, on a highway rest stop at night. The setting is a modern road-side stop with a service store, garage, and cafeteria. A car accident triggers the events.

A desolate highway rest stop serves as the central setting where seven friends take shelter after a car accident. The stop includes a garage, a cafeteria, and a service store, all of which become stages for the unfolding horror and confessions. The location acts as a liminal space between safety and danger, reflecting the characters' inner turmoil.

💔 Trauma

The film uses a ghostly road-stop scenario to explore deep personal trauma. Xuelian’s monologues reveal a past of abuse and detachment, turning the night into a mirror for her pain. The ‘deaths’ and near-death experiences reinterpret memories as the protagonist processes her trauma. The twist suggests healing comes through the strangers’ quiet acts of care.

🤝 Friendship

At first the group’s indifference to the accident victim underscores a flawed view of friendship. As events unfold, the surviving strangers become a fragile solidarity that helps Xuelian confront her past. Jealousies and rivalries surface, yet moments of restraint and aid hint at a more redemptive connection. The ending reframes those bonds as a path to healing rather than betrayal.

🔎 Truth

The story destabilizes reality by revealing that the “friends” are linked to Xuelian’s psyche. The final twist shows Xuelian is the car accident victim, and the others are projections of her trauma-tinged memories. Each death functions as a misperception corrected by the truth of her past. The film closes with a regained sense of truth and a step toward healing.