Wheelman (2017) – Review.
Netflix continues its movie distribution ethos with the smart, neo-noir Wheelman.
Starring Frank Grillo as the no-nonsense getaway driver for hire, written an directed by Jeremy Rush, this stylish and slick thriller will draw obvious comparisons with Nicholas Winding Refn’s Drive, but in fact Wheelman has more in common with the Steven Knight directed Tom Hardy vehicle, Locke, as we again find our main protagonist behind the wheel of a vehicle for almost the entirety of the film’s 82 minute runtime.
This provides a intense and interesting take on what could have easily turned into a cheesy high speed car chase movie. Focused more on the character than gratuitous stunts, the film sets a claustrophobic atmosphere early on that it maintains throughout. That’s not to say that it’s short on scenes of action, which are well placed throughout and rapid fire in their delivery without pushing the boundaries of realism in its gritty execution.
The plot itself is pretty straightforward, yet still interesting. The Wheelman (that’s the only name Grillo provides) is a getaway driver open to offers who finds himself double crossed when a bank job goes wrong and he’s forced by a threatening phone call to leave behind two crazy, gun toting bank robbers.
With the mysterious unknown caller giving him directions with what to do with a trunk full of stolen money and under the threat that if he doesn’t comply, that harm will come to him and his 13 year old daughter, the Wheelman finds himself at the centre of an adrenaline-fuelled journey that is seemingly out of his control. In this race against time, the Wheelman must try to get to the bottom of who has set him up, whilst navigating through the night time streets of Boston, avoiding the vengeful robbers and as a result of their actions, the Boston Police department.
Rush’s debut feature is a carefully constructed, intensely paced film. Not a second of it’s brief runtime is wasted and Grillo shines as the tightly-wound anti-hero, and general badass. An interesting and intense character who drives (excuse the pun) the plot throughout. A control freak pushed to his absolute limits when he is forced to tow the line.
Wheelman sits neatly in the category of B-movie fodder but is elevated by some sterling direction and strong central performance. The television platform is ideally suited to it’s up-close, intimate cinematography and Wheelman comes as a welcome surprise.
Film ‘89 Verdict – 7/10
Wheelman is currently available on Netflix (regional variances may apply).
