The short “Trip” on the night Los Angeles road has a worthy premise and a curious artistic effect. A young black guy, working as a driver in Uber, picked up a passenger who first freaks out, and then goes on the path of war with a chauffeur. The action takes place almost entirely within the vehicle. However, unlike Stephen Knight’s Locke, this is not a film built on personalities: the protagonist is faded, the antagonist seems irritable rather than threatening, and the hero’s love interest is confusing. Alas, the interaction of these three people in the salon of a night taxi, well, does not work, because to perform the “Trip” of what the creators intended, there is desperately no screen time: for 76 minutes of timekeeping, it is simply impossible to introduce the characters, build dynamics between them and increase tension.
James is a failed actor who is forced to work as a taxi driver. One night he gave a ride to a girl, Jessica, who amazed him with optimism and talkativeness. By the end of the trip it becomes clear that the young man fell in love with the passenger. James decides to quickly give another passenger a ride, and then return to Jessica, only a new companion named Bruno begins to slowly dig into the driver. At first unobtrusive, and then the man becomes more aggressive and unpleasant.
Since James, and soon Jessica, found themselves in such an extreme situation with a passenger who literally took them hostage, one of the goals of "Ride" becomes to convince the viewer that the lives of the heroes are in danger. However, the antagonist is the main disadvantage of the “Trip”. Bruno looks more like some drunken bully than a real threat. The problem with this character is that it takes a lot of acting to properly convey the line that separates an innocent eccentric from a psychopath. The villain in “Trip” is like a woven of unambiguous tones: he does not make the viewer believe in his actions. Even when Bruno's whole background is revealed, it still feels like a faint plot twist and probably looks like further evidence of this personality's craziness. As a result, you can even bury positive impressions from watching The Trip: the total effect of suspense is close to zero, which is why the film is inconclusive and emotionally unsatisfactory.
The situation James is in is trying to be realistic. Despite all attempts to increase the plausibility of the story, this is not possible, primarily due to problems with implementation. The relationship between James and Jessica seems forced and unnatural. There is no chemistry between the actors.
Within the last twenty minutes, events begin to unfold at breakneck speed. This does not help the narration: nevertheless, "Trip" was conceived as a film, where the main action is limited to acting. Alas, neither Will Brill nor Bella Thorne and Jesse Asher are pulling the project. Because of them, as well as due to rhythm failures, "Trip" stumbles about any opportunity to develop tension and anxiety, turning into a boring thriller about a traveling companion, told in a clear and clear form. There is no claustrophobia or fear in The Trip, which is why the film is really like a night taxi ride: fast and leaves no impressions.
4 out of 10