Black Cab (2024)

Black Cab (2024). Black Cab: Directed by Bruce Goodison. With George Bukhari, Nick Frost, Synnove Karlsen, Luke Norris. A couple who find their jovial cab driver diverts them to a remote, haunted road, revealing disturbing motives and his true intentions.

“Greetings again from the darkness. Movie goers are accustomed to seeing the comedic side of Nick Frost in The Cornetto Trilogy from director Edgar Wright. These are the three films where Frost shares the screen with Simon Pegg: SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004), HOT FUZZ (2007), and THE WORLDu0026#39;S END (2013). Fans of that series are in for quite a shock thanks to this Shudder film from director Bruce Goodison and screenwriter Virginia Gilbert.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s late evening after a dinner with friends. An upset Anne (Synnove Karlsen, u0026quot;Mediciu0026quot;, LAST NIGHT IN SOHO) hops in a cab hoping to head home alone. However, Patrick (Luke Norris, u0026quot;Poldarku0026quot;), the boyfriend sheu0026#39;s been bickering with, joins her in the cab so they can continue their relationship tussle. Their driver is a gregarious bloke played by the aforementioned Nick Frost. He takes an immediate dislike to Patrick (who is a bit of a jerk), and has a creepy bond with Anne. Clearly this will be no ordinary cab ride.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFor a while, neither Anne nor us viewers can tell whatu0026#39;s happening. Soon enough, it becomes obvious this driver has nefarious intentions, though the specifics remain a bit muddled. The classic car that looks like a mini-hearse is a character on its own. We spend a great deal of time inside the vehicle … with Frostu0026#39;s eyes in the rearview mirror. Once he mentions u0026#39;the Ghost of Maybell Hillu0026#39; (or Mabel Hill, not really sure which), and the visions appear, we understand this is a supernatural thriller and Anne and Patrick are going to need some good fortune to escape.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe extent to which the film works and we are engaged comes down to Ms. Karlsenu0026#39;s wide-eyed performance, the uniqueness of the vehicle setting, and our intrigue at seeing Nick Frost embody such a character. Additionally, the use of lighting is superb here … crucial since this all occurs at night and mostly inside a vehicle. By the time we learn the driver believes Anne has something he needs, this becomes a race to u0026#39;the end of the roadu0026#39;.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eStreaming on Shudder beginning November 8, 2024.”