Low budget blackly comedic thriller Self Driver is basically a better and more polished version of Don't Get in the Car. Both films are crime thrillers that take place over a single night, though the disinterested protagonist here is a willing rather than unwilling participator. Written and directed by Michael Pierro (in his feature length directorial debut), this had an odd charm to it.
D (Nathanael Chadwick) is a freelance driver who desperately needs money to pay essential bills. One day a passenger gives him a business card, offering him a job as a more exclusive type of driver, with it insinuated it might not exactly be legal. Initially hesitant, after a series of bad passengers, D decides to call the number on the card. Meeting his new boss, the man explains to D that it is a very well paid job, but that he must do as the car app states or any money earned will be forfeit. Over a very long night, D gets caught up in an increasingly illegal series of events, driving blatant criminals around the city. The money he is making is enough for him to turn a blind eye to all that is going on, but is there a breaking point for the detached driver?
Virtually the entire film takes place within the car that D drives, with the camera having a voyeuristic feel to it, at times appearing to be perched on the dashboard, other times almost like a passenger sat next to the man. Most of the time the camera is focussed close-up on D. He makes for a bland protagonist, but that adds to the dark humour of the piece, remaining non-plussed as no end of illegal and dangerous things occur. The pacing of the film has him picking up various passengers and his bizarre interactions with them, as well as following the very simple but strict instructions from the car app. In addition to following its directions, it also has him doing other things, such as at one point getting in the back of his car and repeatedly punching a passenger! Things become increasingly surreal, not helped by his ridiculous decision to imbibe a random drug, giving the later third of the film an often trippy feel when D begins to feel the effects.
This looked to be shot on a shoe string budget, the camera gave the feel of almost a fly on the wall documentary, with the viewer along for the crazy ride as much as the unemotional driver is. The story goes full circle in a way that I found pleasing, later characters inadvertently linking up with previous ones to give the film a satisfying and amusing end. The thrills here mainly come from the danger that D is getting into. In addition to driving under the influence of drugs, the man also ends up with a pistol in his car, and assisting criminals. I would have been beside myself with guilt and horror, but the driver is so dead inside that he makes it feel almost normal. For ninety minutes we sit in the car with D, but it somehow never gets boring, I was completely drawn into the story, wondering how it would all end. Being such a personality vacuum, D might be one of the more realistic characters out there, it didn't help that he looked and acted almost the exact same as one of the delivery drivers who drops things off at my day job!
When deciding to accept the screener for review I did wonder if it would be a good fit for a horror site. It really is though, the thills diluted by the surreal straight faced comedy, and the eccentric soundtrack (very Squid Game like) added to the unique vibe it rocked. The low budget worked out perfectly for this engaging thriller, with effects on screen decent, and nothing seeming obviously cheap. Self Driver premiered at the Fantaspoa - International Fantastic Film Festival where it won 'Best Film' in the 'Low Budget, Great Films' section. Further festivals saw it pick up 'Best First Feature' (Fantasia Festival), 'Best Actor' (Grimmfest), and received a special mention from the jury for 'Best Director' at the Macabro Festival Internacional de Cine de Horror, MidWest WeirdFest, and Panic Fest. Self Driver arrives on VOD and Digital on May 8th from Cinephobia Releasing.
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