Freeway is a 1996 American dark comedy crime thriller film written and directed by Matthew Bright and produced by Oliver Stone.

The car breaks down, leaving her on the side of the highway where she is picked up by Bob Wolverton, a counselor at a school for boys with emotional problems.

He offers to take her as far as L.A. Over the long drive, Vanessa comes to trust Bob and confesses the details of her dysfunctional life, including sexual abuse by her stepfather and foster parents.

She is arrested and questioned by police detectives Mike Breer and Garnet Wallace, who write her off as a carjacker, even though she insists Bob tried to kill her and told her about his crimes.

Initially scared, Vanessa makes friends in prison who include heroin-addicted lesbian Rhonda and a vicious Hispanic gang leader named Mesquita.

The ACB had already approved of a censored version, running 102 minutes, that removed two scenes: one in which Sutherland asks Witherspoon for anal sex on top of his excessive use of obscenities, and another in which a deceased 91-year-old grandmother is shown with a vase covering her private parts and her legs spread apart; the cut version remains available on video in that country, where it is rated R18+.

The website's consensus reads: "A modern update on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood, Freeway is an audacious black comedy with a star-making performance from the young Reese Witherspoon.

Film critic Roger Ebert gave Freeway three and a half stars out of four and stated, "Like it or hate it (or both), you have to admire its skill, and the over-the-top virtuosity of Reese Witherspoon and Kiefer Sutherland.

[11] Joe Baltake of The Sacramento Bee gave Freeway four stars out of four and called it "a wild, audacious drive-in attraction that takes the 'high' from 'highbrow' and the 'low' from 'lowdown' and shakes them up".

[12] Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle gave Freeway four stars out of four and said that it was "rude in the way the truth is rude—only funnier".

"[14] The film was not a success at the box office,[1] but has achieved a cult following over the years through home video and HBO airings from fans who praise its satire, camp style, and Witherspoon's performance.