RIDE – A Review by Cynthia Flores
Ride is an indie film that packs a lot into its one hour and nineteen minutes. The story is a cautionary tale about a young actor named James (Jessie T. Usher) in LA working as an UBER driver between booking acting gigs. His first pick up is a good-looking young woman named Jessica (Bella Thorne) that he hits it off with during the ride. They flirt, and she invites him to join her and her friends for a drink at the club which is her stop. Instead, he takes the next ride request which ultimately leads to his last pick up of a distraught but charismatic man named Bruno. According to the very talkative Bruno, he has just broken up with his girlfriend and convinces James to drive him around the city for a few hours for $100 over the fare.
The first bit of the film happens while the two men drive around LA while Bruno is yacking his head off, the car always in motion, we see the city as they drive thru it passing renowned city sites. Bruno pays James to perform a monologue from Shakespeare's Richard the Second as reflections of LA at night slide by reflecting on the car windshields.
“Sometimes when you trust your impulses incredible things can happen” is the lure that Bruno uses to convince James to pick up Jessica at her club and invite her to a party at a house in Malibu. Once Jessica joins them in the car is when the psychological war for survival begins.
The dialogue in this film is a cut above most indie thriller films. The acting is top notch, and the situations are unnervingly believable. The only thing wrong is the ending and the fact that two people could not overtake this skinny Bruno with the big gun sooner.
In Ride, you see and hear the driving apps motto, “A stranger is just a friend you haven't meant yet”. Well in this film, a stranger is someone that can possibly kill you. I give this movie a B- rating and will give my next Uber driver a little distance.
Directed by Jeremy Ungar
Written By Jeremy Ungar
Rated NR
Selig Rating B-
Running Time 1hr 19min
Thriller
Limited Release October 5th AMC Irving 10 and VOD and Digital HD
Starring: Jessie T. Usher, Bella Thorne, Will Brill
The Selig Rating Scale:
A – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
B – Good movie
C – OK movie
D – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
F – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn't paid for it.
