A Sinister Nick Frost Elevates Murky Horror Tale Black Cab

Things are shaky betwixt Ann (Synnøve Karlsen) and Patrick (Luke Norris) adjacent earlier they ascent into a cab driven by Ian (Shaun of the Dead‘s Nick Frost). But their standoff implicit whether oregon not to rekindle a narration derailed by his atrocious behaviour shrinks successful value erstwhile they recognize Ian hasn’t picked them up by accident, and has nary volition of taking them wherever they privation to go. His acheronian docket gradually comes into absorption arsenic Black Cab progresses, though the travel to get determination is much haunting than the destination.

Ian drives a accepted cab, but Black Cab taps into modern anxieties that’ve grown on with the prominence of ride-share fearfulness stories. Thanks successful nary tiny portion to real-world nightmares, “Uber from hell” is gathering up its ain cinematic subgenre astatine this point. But Black Cab besides draws upon older fears portion gathering its plot; aboriginal successful the movie, Pat tells a classical “friend of a friend” yarn astir a young pistillate who thinks she’s being chased location by a murderous chap motorist, lone to recognize helium was trying to pass her astir a maniac lurking successful her backmost seat. (It’s a saltation connected the aforesaid communicative that opens 1998 slasher Urban Legend, with bully reason: it’s a creepy, creepy scenario.)

Later successful the film, Ian shares a shade communicative that blends 2 classical tales: the “vanishing hitchhiker” (see: Scary Stories to Tell successful the Dark, Unsolved Mysteries) and La Llorona, the weeping parent fig from Mexican folklore. This constituent ties into a concealed Ann has been keeping from Pat arsenic she decides whether oregon not to springiness him different chance—she’s pregnant, thing Ian is alert of and which ties into his unwholesome involvement successful the couple.

Black Cab does a decent occupation gathering hostility adjacent though astir of it takes spot crammed wrong Ian’s cab; it makes originative usage of the broadside and rearview mirrors to marque the visuals much dynamic, and the rainy nighttime brings further atmospherics, particularly arsenic Ann becomes much hopeless successful her predicament. Less effectual are the story’s attempts to physique suspense; Black Cab is 1 of those movies that starts disconnected with a prophetic imagination that astir instantly comes to pass, truthful we’re primed to expect Ann’s astir to get caught up successful thing worse than Ian’s hollow apologies. The supernatural leap scares besides don’t bring overmuch to the table, particularly erstwhile they commencement to consciousness repetitive. And erstwhile Ian’s malevolent intentions yet travel to light, the pieces don’t rather acceptable together—they surely don’t present an ending arsenic satisfying arsenic that ol’ “killer successful the backmost seat” tale.

Image: Shudder

Directed by Bruce Goodison and written by David Michael Emerson (with further worldly by Frost and Virginia Gilbert), Black Cab does person 1 important happening going for it. It offers a uncommon starring relation for Frost (Hot Fuzz, The World’s End, Fighting With My Family, Truth Seekers), who’s much often seen successful supporting roles, often arsenic comic relief. Here he’s unmasked arsenic a frightening antagonist aboriginal successful the story, but it’s inactive continuously disarming due to the fact that we’re accustomed to liking the characters helium plays. Ian lone appears to beryllium friendly; erstwhile his facade slips disconnected and we recognize he’s kidnapping Ann and Pat, helium alternates betwixt acting caring and cruel, though his mentation of “caring” is inactive highly off-putting. It’s a fantastic show by Frost, made adjacent amended by however astonishing it is.

Black Cab arrives November 8 connected Shudder.

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