Facing mounting expenses and the unrelenting pressure of modern living, a down-on-his-luck cab driver is lured on to a mysterious new app that promises fast, easy money. As his first night on the job unfolds, he is pulled ever deeper into the dark underbelly of society, embarking on a journey that will test his moral code and shake his understanding of what it means to have freewill. The question becomes not how much money he can make, but what he’ll be compelled to do to make it. If you’ve got nothing to lose, how far would you go?
Director Michael Pierro will present and Q&A.
Grimmfest Says: Continuing Grimmfest’s long-standing tradition of films taking place almost entirely within cars, Michael Pierro’s tense and troubling neo-noir might be described as a kind of TAXI DRIVER for the Uber generation; although the hapless, conscience-stricken D is a far cry from the sociopathic Travis Bickle, and the tone and narrative trajectory here owe at least as much to AFTER HOURS or INTO THE NIGHT, as the protagonist’s journey takes him further and further out of his depth and comfort zone, and his own desperation, fear, and moral conscience are thrown into sharp conflict by what he is forced to be party to.
It’s beautifully played by a strong cast, with sharp, witty, naturalistic dialogue, some astute socio-political observations about the modern “gig economy”, and a fine sense of location and mood, capturing the seedier streets of Toronto at night with the raw immediacy of something shot on the fly. All the more chilling due to its low-key, near-verite approach, this is a genuine masterclass in low-budget, high-concept filmmaking; a white-knuckle cab ride you’ll never forget.
Part of our FEAR ON FOUR WHEELS strand.