SELF DRIVER
Starring: Nathanael Chadwick, Catt Filippov, Reece Presley and Lauren Welchner
Director: Michael Pierro
This film has been reviewed by Nick and Paige as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Fantasia International Film Festival.
PAIGE
Despite its low budget, Self Driver stands out somewhat because most of the film is primarily shot in the interior of a car, making it an unexpectedly tense film that is reminiscent of Collateral’s style and tone. The saying "desperate times call for desperate measures” fits rather well here as insanity breaks loose, leaving the film to paint a bare picture of being a modern-day taxi driver and all the dehumanizing that can come with that. Ultimately, I'm interested to see what writer/director Michael Pierro does next because Self Driver is a promising beginning.
NICK
The award for best film shot entirely in a car still goes to 2013's Locke, but director Michael Pierro should be proud of what he was able to do on a miniscule budget. This examination of what we’re willing to do at the end of our rope will hit close to home for anyone who has ever wondered how far they'd go to get out of their despair. Thematically, it works quite well. Beyond that, the film failed to grip me. I struggled to connect with the story (and I'm not far removed from the aforementioned hard times), but I hope others feel different.