Is Midnight in the Switchgrass based on a true story? Explained

There's nothing really good about Randall Emmett's 2021 crime thriller Midnight in the Switchgrass, according to the critics, as it sits with just an 8% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Most people think this movie isn't worth watching. But wait a minute.

According to FlixPatrol, that movie exploded recently on Netflix, even entering the top 10 charts following its release on the platform. Now those waves have become calmer, but let's see what this film is about. Midnight in the Switchgrass isn't entirely based on a true story, but it is said to have drawn inspiration from certain real-life events.

Between 1975 and 1990, a man who went by the alias Truck Stop Killer around the Texas and Illinois regions was arrested for a number of heinous crimes, including tortures, killings, and more. The villain of the film is loosely based on this man, who still remains under custody at the maximum-security Menard Correctional Center in Chester, Illinois.

What happens in Midnight in the Switchgrass?

As we said, Midnight in the Switchgrass is inspired by certain events, including the killings associated with the Truck Stop Killer, which were a heavy influence. Though the director never officially said this was the case. Emile Hirsch, who plays law enforcement agent Byron Crawford, also explained to AMFM Magazine that the director did that on purpose.

The film sees Rebecca Lombardo (Megan Fox) and Karl Helter (Bruce Willis) investigating something that could be the work of a serial killer. The story has a man dubbed Peter Hillborough, who is revealed to be the Truck Stop Killer.

The FBI's Highway Serial Killings Initiative was an influence on the story too, as Caitlin Carmichael, who plays Tracey Lee in Midnight in the Switchgrass, told Pop Culturist in August 2021. She said,

"Midnight in the Switchgrass' came out on July 23rd. I’m so excited that the world is finally able to see it. It’s based on the true story of the FBI’s Highway Serial Killings Initiative that started in 2009."

The Razzie Awards nominated Megan Fox for Worst Actress that year. Talking commercially, the film garnered $97k internationally and $652k from the domestic video sales. Interestingly, the film set is also where Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly (Colson Baker) met before entering a relationship.

How was the Truck Stop Killer found in reality?

On April 1, 1990, Arizona State Trooper Mike Miller was out on his duty and saw this semi-tractor rig and thought of helping whoever was the driver. However, as he approached it, he found a woman screaming in the back; the killer, who was identified as Robert Ben Rhoades, was there too.

The girl and her attacker were taken in by the police, where the latter was questioned by authorities. The girl who didn't reveal her name said he tortured her after he picked her up just north of Phoenix.

Fast forward to today: Ford is suspected of torturing, killing, and more than fifty women throughout fifteen years. A 14-year-old Regina Kay Walters is one of his confirmed victims whom he killed by strangling. Her decomposed body was discovered by a farmer in Bond County, Illinois.

Though the film never uses his name, we can find him in Alva Busch's book called Roadside Prey (2000) and Roy Hazelwood and Stephen G. Michaud's The Evil That Men Do (2000).