RIDE: UBER SCARES

The rise in ride services like Lyft and Uber have done something that at one time would have thought unbelievable. As a recent meme mentioned we were told not to talk to strangers online and not to get into cars we don’t know and now we contact strangers using the internet to get into cars we don’t know and pay them to boot. So what if the person driving were not who you thought? Or worse yet, what if the person you were driving were not safe? That is the concept behind the movie DRIVE.

James (Jessie T. Usher) is an aspiring actor who drives for one of the ride share app Ride to make money. On this particular night he first picks up Jessica (Bella Thorne), an attractive young woman. The two hit it off as he drives her to a party and she invites him to join her there later when he finishes for the night.

His next customer is Bruno (Will Brill). Bruno is not the typical ride that James takes from place to place. He tries to be overly friendly, providing no particular location yet to drive to. He converses non-stop with James, finding out more about him as they travel the roads of LA. He learns that James wants to be an actor and offers him a bonus if he will perform a few lines for him. James does so and the two seem to begin to bond.

As they continue to drive around Bruno eventually provides an address for James, a stop along his ride for the night. While sitting in the car waiting James thinks he hears a gunshot but isn’t quite sure. They leave to drive more and Bruno learns about Jessica. He suggest to James that he shouldn’t be passing by the opportunity to what could be a great relationship with a beautiful woman. Promising he has a place in the hills with a hot tub, he convinces James to return to the party and present the offer to Jessica. James does so and the trio begin driving.

The three seem to be getting along fine and perhaps there is hope for this couple to become an item. It is at this point that thinks take a twist for the worse. Bruno is armed and begins to force the pair to do things they don’t want to, his way of making them feel alive. One of these is forcing James to rob a convenience store with the gun. If not, Jessica will not see the next day. From there things continue to spiral downward.

The movie works on many levels starting with that fear of the unknown when you enter the car of a person, just anyone, who can work for a service like this. Unlike a licensed cab driver you have no clue who you are riding with. But the opposite provides the tension here, the unknown of not knowing who your fare might be and having no one and no way to contact anyone for help, no one willing to check in and find out where you are. You are at the disposal of the client and there is no telling what that involves.

The performances here are nothing exceptional but they are well done with Brill providing a convincing and terrifying performance as a man with a plan, even if said plan is unknown to all. Usher provides just enough innocence to make you believe in his character as well. Thorne is perhaps the most underused of the three, a party girl who might have the potential to be something more but never quite given the chance to prove that.

The movies is an effective thriller that entertains and holds your interest throughout. If you’re looking for something different that will keep you on the edge of your seat give it a try.

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