The Accidental Getaway Driver is a film that expands on a simple premise and delivers a moving and thought-provoking journey to its audience. Despite what the title suggests, it is not an action-packed thriller but a performance-driven character study about seeing the best in others.
Based on true events, The Accidental Getaway Driver follows Long Mã, an elderly cab driver, who agrees to a late-night pickup with some dire consequences. This single decision leads to him being taken on the run by a group of escaped convicts. The plot follows Long as he attempts to reason with his captors and appeals to their humanity.
At its core, the film’s writing captures the experience of being human and the importance of forgiveness. By exploring the motivations of its characters, the story is rooted in themes of regret and redemption. Despite the unusual circumstances of their meeting, the unlikely bond between the protagonist and one of the criminals keeps human connection at the center of the plot.
The script works so well because it allows each character to exist in a moral grey area. While some are undoubtedly more “good” or more “bad” than others, each character is three-dimensional with their own complex motivations. The audience may not condone their actions, but they are given the opportunity to see where the characters are coming from. Meanwhile, our protagonist is slowly revealed to have his own character flaws as the audience learns more about his past.
This powerful writing benefits from a strong showing from the lead actor, Hiep Tran Nghia. A character of few words, Nghia’s subtle yet effective performance as Long allows the audience to understand exactly how the character is feeling through a single glance or expression. Dali Benssalah provides another standout performance through his chilling portrayal of the group’s ringleader, Aden. The strength of the two actors is best showcased in a tense late-night conversation that takes place between their respective characters. The filmmakers give the audience an understanding of what kind of man Aden is within this single interaction.
The existence of a language barrier between Long and the other characters greatly benefits the film’s character relationships. The inability to verbally communicate forces the actors to rely on other methods to express how their characters are feeling. The use of facial expressions and body language allows the physicality of these performances to shine.
Every technical aspect of the film blends together to deliver something special. Visually stunning and meticulously shot, it feels as if every creative decision was made by the filmmakers with the goal of enhancing the performances of the lead actors. Director Sing J. Lee’s brilliant use of close-up camera angles places the strong performances of the actors front and center. This emphasis not only grounds the film but also connects the audience with the characters.
Lighting also sets the tone of scenes and accentuates the actors’ performances. The use of a diverse color palette allows the otherwise slow pacing to feel dynamic. Mundane scenes such as late-night driving or falling asleep in a hotel room are made interesting through this creative use of lighting.
Some of my personal favorite shots involved the camerawork centered around driving. Despite scenes of driving being a relatively common occurrence in other films, the director still finds innovative camera angles and lighting techniques to make these simple and monotonous interactions memorable. Whether through the use of rearview mirrors or the glow of the tail lights, the car remains an integral element.
The sound design and score are also noteworthy as the subtlety of the film’s audio allows the actors to be the focus of the audience’s attention. The sound design effectively builds tension in a scene, working alongside the actors’ performances, rather than overshadowing them.
While nowhere near strong enough to overshadow the film’s many high points, there are some minor issues, mainly relating to the plot. The most prominent of which is that the ending feels redundant. After the main plot wraps up, there are still a few additional scenes to tie up loose ends. While this does allow the characters’ arcs to come full circle, it feels like these elements maybe could have been left to the audience’s imagination to fill in for themselves.
The Accidental Getaway Driver is a surprisingly heartfelt film with a message about being human and striving to be better. It is the story of how human connection can be found even in the darkest of times. While it is certainly effective in building dramatic tension, some of its most impactful moments are when the characters are simply having a conversation.
The Accidental Getaway Driver had its World Premiere in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section of Sundance Film Festival 2023.
Director: Sing J. Lee
Writer: Sing J. Lee, Christopher Chen
Rated: NR
Runtime: 117m
The Accidental Getaway Driver is a surprisingly heartfelt film with a message about being human and striving to be better.
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GVN Rating 9
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I’m Andrew! I love discussing movies and tv shows. My favorite genres include animation, musicals, and especially Superheroes.