Released on Prime Video on March 21,2024,Road Houseis a remake of the cult classic action movie starringthe late Patrick Swayze. This time, Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Elwood Dalton, a former UFC fighter turned rough-and-tumble bouncer hired to protect a beachfront bar called The Road House in Key West, Florida. Before Dalton accepts the gig, he tries to pass the job to Carter Ford (Post Malone, credited as Austin Post), a brute-force brawler who makes a brief cameo appearance in the first act.
In addition to appearing briefly in the Prime Video action movie, Post Malone contributed at least one song, “Horsepower,” to the soundtrack. However, since the action comes fast and furious, it’s easy to look away for a split second and miss Post Malone’s brief yet brutal appearance. As such, it’s worth explaining who Carter is, where he shows up in the film, and how he informs the plot ofRoad Houseat the beginning of the story.
Road House
Read our reviewWhile briefly synopsized above, Doug Liman’s 2024 remake ofRoad Housebears little resemblance to its 1989 predecessor. Similarities include the main character, Dalton, a laconic tough guy hired to protect a rowdy bar that caters to live music, and his romance with a local doctor. In the original, the bar was called The Double Deuce and located in Jesper, Missouri. In the 2024 remake, the bar is called The Road House and is located on the waterfront of Key West, Florida (although a restaurant called The Double Deuce can be spotted next to a bookstore).
In the original, James Dalton is recruited by the corrupt business owner Frank Tilghman (Kevin Tighe), who runs the Double Deuce. Inthe Doug Liman movieremake, Elwood Dalton is hired by the uncorrupt Frankie (Jessica Williams), who owns the Road House. While other differences and similarities can be spotted between both versions, Frankie’s recruitment of Dalton introduces the brief but memorable character of Carter Ford (Post Malone), who appears in the movie’s opening scene and instantly establishes the dramatic stakes of Dalton’s fighting acumen.
The opening images ofRoad Housetake place inside a dark and dingy underground fighting arena. Two large bald fighters square off inside the ring, one of whom is covered in tattoos from the neck down. The barefoot, bare-knuckle brawler with tattoos gains the upper hand on his opponent by kicking and punching him in the head and body.
Frankie approaches the bar and asks the server to guide her to a man named Carter Ford. The bartender portentously points to the man with tattoos inside the ring, at which point Frankie quips, “I hope it’s not the bald guy.” At this point, the viewers aren’t sure if she means the bald guy winning or losing the fight. “The guy with the ink,” the bartender states, adding “he’s taking all comers.”
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Moments later, Carter is shown taunting his opponent inside the ring by dancing and fooling around without a care in the world. As Carter bludgeons his enemy, the camera cuts to a stranger in the shadows calmly sipping water alone in his car outside the arena. The fight between Carter and his bigger foe continues as Dalton enters the arena. A body shot, a kick to the knee, and five headshots later, Carter drops his oversized enemy on the mat. Afterward, the announcer declares, “That’s six in a row for the illustrious Carter Ford. Who wants to get in there and make it number seven? Who wants to do it? It’s winner-take-all tonight, y’all.”
Why the Cameo Is Significant
As Carter confidently welcomes all challengers in the popularPrime Video original movie, he quickly changes his tune when Dalton enters the ring. Once Dalton removes his hoodie and flashes his chiseled physique, Carter’s confidence quickly turns to abject fear. Recognizing Dalton from his past as a decorated mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter for the Ultimate Fighter Championship (UFC), Carter begins to back out of the brawl, asking his cornerman, “Do you know who that is? He’s that f***ing guy! Why would I fight that guy”?
Carter’s fearful and foul-mouthed tirade continues as he tries to back out of the fight with Dalton, clearly intimidated by Dalton’s reputation as a deadly fighter. In an instant, Carter goes from a terrifying aggressor to a mortified coward, unwilling to face Dalton in a one-on-one fight for prize money. Carter storms out of the arena, and Dalton accepts a wad of cash for winning the fight via forfeit. Witnessing the entire event from the bar, Frankie sees Carter flee out of fear and offers Dalton the job as the chief bouncer at the Road House in Key West (filmed in the Dominican Republic).
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Although Post Malone portrays Carter Ford in the opening scene and is never heard from again, his character establishes Dalton’s physical prowess and superior fighting skills that inform the rest of the plot. Dalton initially refuses to take the job at the Road House and even suggests Carter be hired instead. This also underscores Dalton’s genial personality as someone who does not hold grudges and has a compassionate side that isn’t blinded by his affinity for fighting. The scene also establishes that Dalton has been similarly scamming inferior fighters to make ends meet following his UFC career.
Albeit brief, Post Malone’s cameo appearance inRoad Houseis an unforgettable reminder of what a natural stage performer the popular musician/actor continues to be in 2024 and beyond. Despite the criticized over-reliance onthe movie’s unique CGI fight sequences, Post Malone acquits himself well in his briefRoad Housecameo as a brutal bare-knuckle brawler with a change of heart. As such, it’s no surprise to learn that the popular musician will star opposite Jack Black and Keegan-Michael Key in the upcoming Bobby Farrelly comedy,Dear Santa.Stream on Prime Video.
