SELF DRIVER Review – Fantasia International Film Festival 2024

One of the best coming out of Fantasia 2024, Michael Pierro’s thrilling and funny “Self Driver” is Taxi Driver for the Uber and Lyft age.

Synopsis

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?

Review
Easily one of the best films I screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival, Michael Pierro’s “Self Driver” is Taxi Driver for the age of Uber and Lyft. Shot under a budget of $10,000, “Self Driver” is a Canadian thriller about rideshare driver “D” (Nathanael Chadwick) who is at the end of his rope. With a car that can barely start, a partner and baby at home, bills not being paid and ends not being met, something’s gotta move. During a ride, “D” meets “Bro” (Reece Presley), an intriguing man who offers him a lucrative opportunity to drive for a mysterious company named “Tonomo”. The only rules – he has to do what the app tells him, cannot speak to passengers and finish all rides completely. If he fails these rules, the contract is void and he loses all money earned. This intriguing opportunity takes “D” on a journey where his morality and sanity are tested. “Self Driver” exists both as a chamber piece (mostly taking place within the protagonist’s car) and as an engaging, darkly comedic thriller. Its engaging pace and intriguing story gives the film a vibe reminiscent of Taxi Driver and Collateral with a Taxicab Confessions soul.

The formula of why “Self Driver” works so well is character and performance, mainly within Nathanael Chadwick’s vulnerable performance of “D”. “D” is the best lead character for a story like this because “D” is us – he’s all of us at one point in time. Working hard, trying to stay on top of bills, trying to stay on top of this crazy thing called life, he represents us, the audience. For a story about a man struggling to keep his morality throughout a night of strange and unsettling encounters, Chadwick’s funny, relatable performance as “D” keeps the flow fresh and (mostly) realistic. When he fails, we feel the failure, when he sees an opportunity for a win, we get a little weary (by nature, this is still a thriller) but we’re excited for him. That’s the kind of performance an audience doesn’t mind being glued to for the duration of a film. As his foil, Reece Presley leaves an effective, sketchy impression as “Bro”, a man that actually comes off as a friendly bro in the beginning but shows his true, sinister colors when it’s time for business. Catt Flippov also delivers great work as “Angel”, a Tonomo client of D’s that’s more or less a guardian angel for our protagonist as he confronts and discovers how far he is willing to go for his monetary goals. Her character serves as another parallel to Scorsese’s NY classic, almost being seen as a millennial version of Jodie Foster’s character “Iris”. Her spunky attitude matches well with D’s friendly relatability and her fear of what insidious strangers linger in the night is palpable.

Writer-director Michael Pierro crafts this indie feature with gumption and skill, refusing to let the protagonist’s main location feel constricting in any way. He keeps the clockwork story engaging, pairing D with interesting characters throughout the night, some funny and some unsettling. The theme of staying true to your integrity is also well paced, culminating in a visually stunning acid trip that leads to a thrilling climax. The ending, however, breaks the rules of this established universe – a confounding revelation that comes out of left field and steers somewhat into “fantasy”. Rule breaking aside, “Self Driver” is an entertaining reminder of the undying strength of independent filmmaking and how there is always talent abound within the indie community. The film’s Cinéma verité/guerilla style matched with its terrific, neon score (scored by Antonio Naranjo, who has echoes of a Oneohtrix Point Never-like sound) gives light to its creativity and passion.

Closing Thoughts
“Self Driver” is easily one of the best films from the Fantasia International Film Festival of 2024. Its quick runtime of 90 minutes packs in a nice concoction of relatability, tension, depth and comedy. Michael Pierro no doubt has a future in cinema and Nathanael Chadwick no doubt has a future in more character driven roles. Even though the film delivers “Taxi Driver” vibes for the anxiety age, I wouldn’t be too amiss to suggest that this film could be paired in an awesome double feature presentation with Safdie Brothers’ “Good Time”. Pierro’s debut carries the same anxiousness as the Safdie Brothers’ 2017 hit, the only difference being that in this one, we have a main character that both relate to and want to see win. With character and story so closely intertwined as they are in this film, that counts for something.

Trailer