Self Driver by Matt Boiselle
Self-Driver – written and directed by Michael Pierro, and starring Nathanael Chadwick, Reece Presley and Lauren Welchner
Synopsis: A desperate cab driver joins a mysterious money-making app, leading him into society’s shadows. As the night progresses, his morals are tested and free will questioned.
“Self Driver” ended up being a pretty solid surprise. It takes a simple idea and manages to squeeze a decent amount of tension out of it without relying on nonstop action or cheap jump scares. The movie follows a rideshare driver who ends up caught in a situation that slowly spirals out of control, and a lot of the fun comes from not knowing exactly where things are headed next. What works best here is the atmosphere. The movie does a good job making ordinary late-night drives feel uncomfortable and unpredictable. There’s this constant sense that something bad is around the corner, even during quieter scenes. A lot of that comes from the lead performance, which keeps the movie grounded even when things start getting weird.
The pacing can drag a little in spots, especially during the middle section, but the film usually pulls itself back before it loses momentum completely. It’s more of a slow-burn thriller than a full-on horror movie, so people expecting nonstop chaos might walk away disappointed. Still, when the tension kicks in, it works. Visually, the movie keeps things simple but effective. The dark streets, empty parking lots, and neon-lit nighttime setting give it a gritty feel that fits the story really well. It honestly feels like the kind of movie that’s best watched late at night with the lights off.
The biggest strength of “Self Driver” is that it feels believable enough to get under your skin a little. It plays off real fears — being alone, stuck in a bad situation, and realizing too late that you can’t trust the people around you. It’s not reinventing the genre or anything, but it’s entertaining, tense, and a lot more engaging than I expected going in.
The film released on UK digital on May 11th from GrimmVision.